1. Just because someone helps you doesn't mean he cares about you as a person.
2. Letting go and letting God doesn't happen until you let go.
3. People who are emotionally unavailable are emotionally unavailable.
4. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.
5. Negative emotions are by-products of bad decisions.
6. Sometimes the best vengence is just moving on.
7. As long as there is God, there is always hope.
8. Emotional wounds heal over time just like physical ones.
Shonda Ponder
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Re-dedication
Today I re-dedicated my life to God. I have strayed off the path and out of His will until I became someone that I couldn't stand. All I've wanted was to find the way back.
It's funny how sin has a way of enticing you. It makes you think you can compromise who you are supposed to be for a time and still get the desired results. Sometimes, however, it's better to just step back and say, "God's got this. I think I'll just stay out of His way."
Letting go and letting God is so much easier before you take that first step in sin. Giving up control of your life is hard, granted; but it is necessary in order to gain what God has planned for you to have. If you do not let God do the driving, you will end up lost on the road of life, not knowing how you got where you are.
The truth is, I do know how I got where I am. I know that my decisions weren't the ones that God wanted me to make. I know that I chose the route I took because I didn't trust God to give me what I wanted. And, it's true. He wasn't going to give me what I wanted; but, what He wanted me to have is so much better than what I could do for myself.
I feel refreshed now, in my spirit. I feel at peace. I know that the day will soon come, however, that I will fight the things that led me into this wilderness again. What I have to do now is decide what I'm going to do when that battle takes place again.
==============================
It's funny how sin has a way of enticing you. It makes you think you can compromise who you are supposed to be for a time and still get the desired results. Sometimes, however, it's better to just step back and say, "God's got this. I think I'll just stay out of His way."
Letting go and letting God is so much easier before you take that first step in sin. Giving up control of your life is hard, granted; but it is necessary in order to gain what God has planned for you to have. If you do not let God do the driving, you will end up lost on the road of life, not knowing how you got where you are.
The truth is, I do know how I got where I am. I know that my decisions weren't the ones that God wanted me to make. I know that I chose the route I took because I didn't trust God to give me what I wanted. And, it's true. He wasn't going to give me what I wanted; but, what He wanted me to have is so much better than what I could do for myself.
I feel refreshed now, in my spirit. I feel at peace. I know that the day will soon come, however, that I will fight the things that led me into this wilderness again. What I have to do now is decide what I'm going to do when that battle takes place again.
==============================
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 12: Genesis 1:12
Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 12: Genesis 1:12
December 28, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:12 -- And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
When God makes a command, it happens. When He opens His mouth and speaks, action occurs. Nothing happens unless it is the will of God.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we accept the task He has set before us. Sometimes, that task is not clearly defined, accept that we are to follow the rules laid out to us by our Basic Instruction-book Before Leaving Earth (BIBLE). It is our job to make sure that we stay on the path directed by our Father in heaven. If we fail to do so, we will walk into thorns and thistles, not to mention an ambush of evil.
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. (Deuteronomy 8:2)
Bad things don't happen to good people. Bad things that happen are simply a test of your faith. God doesn't want sissies in His army, anymore than He wants self-centered leaders. God can't do His job effectively if you continue to keep trying to tell Him how to do it. He wants you to follow Him, to act on His command, to not question His decisions, and finally, to trust Him.
And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. (2 Chronicles 13:12)
Sun Tzu's strategic book on warfare is nothing compared to God's. God has won every battle He has ever fought. God is your protector and your vengence against would-be oppressors. All you have to do is stay in the will of the Father, and let Him do the rest.
Don't worry: if you make a mistake, God will make sure that you recognize that mistake, and He will be on the path waiting for you to return as He gives you the strength to fight your way back.
===========================
Day 12: Genesis 1:12
December 28, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:12 -- And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
When God makes a command, it happens. When He opens His mouth and speaks, action occurs. Nothing happens unless it is the will of God.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we accept the task He has set before us. Sometimes, that task is not clearly defined, accept that we are to follow the rules laid out to us by our Basic Instruction-book Before Leaving Earth (BIBLE). It is our job to make sure that we stay on the path directed by our Father in heaven. If we fail to do so, we will walk into thorns and thistles, not to mention an ambush of evil.
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. (Deuteronomy 8:2)
Bad things don't happen to good people. Bad things that happen are simply a test of your faith. God doesn't want sissies in His army, anymore than He wants self-centered leaders. God can't do His job effectively if you continue to keep trying to tell Him how to do it. He wants you to follow Him, to act on His command, to not question His decisions, and finally, to trust Him.
And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. (2 Chronicles 13:12)
Sun Tzu's strategic book on warfare is nothing compared to God's. God has won every battle He has ever fought. God is your protector and your vengence against would-be oppressors. All you have to do is stay in the will of the Father, and let Him do the rest.
Don't worry: if you make a mistake, God will make sure that you recognize that mistake, and He will be on the path waiting for you to return as He gives you the strength to fight your way back.
===========================
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 11: Genesis 1:11
Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 11: Genesis 1:11
December 24, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:11 -- And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth: and it was so.
Everything God creates has a purpose. God did not create you to sit idle. He doesn't intend for you to sit by and watch as events unfold. God created you as a part of His plan. If you were not in God's plan, He would have not created you.
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) (Romans 9:11)
God gave you talents. He made you unique. He gave you certain intelligence and ability, just as He did the grass of the field and the fruit trees. All of this is so that you may seek Him with your free will, which He allows you to have. God doesn't want robots to do His bidding as He pleases. He wants true companionship, true love, true belief. God wants you to choose to be on His side. He won't force you to do anything, but He will make it inconvenient for you to do anything else, in the long run.
If there were no free will, there would not be a need for God to forgive us of our sins. Our free will was the reason for the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. We can choose God as our leader, or we can choose to follow our pride. Until we humble ourselves, and realize that our pride is not greater than God's will, our lives will have no fulfillment.
Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. (Isaiah 48:17)
Understand that God created you for a reason. God gave you everything you need, and what He has not given you, He can as need arises. Until you are focused on living for Him, your life will not be comfortable, or convenient, or peaceful.
=====================
Day 11: Genesis 1:11
December 24, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:11 -- And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth: and it was so.
Everything God creates has a purpose. God did not create you to sit idle. He doesn't intend for you to sit by and watch as events unfold. God created you as a part of His plan. If you were not in God's plan, He would have not created you.
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) (Romans 9:11)
God gave you talents. He made you unique. He gave you certain intelligence and ability, just as He did the grass of the field and the fruit trees. All of this is so that you may seek Him with your free will, which He allows you to have. God doesn't want robots to do His bidding as He pleases. He wants true companionship, true love, true belief. God wants you to choose to be on His side. He won't force you to do anything, but He will make it inconvenient for you to do anything else, in the long run.
If there were no free will, there would not be a need for God to forgive us of our sins. Our free will was the reason for the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. We can choose God as our leader, or we can choose to follow our pride. Until we humble ourselves, and realize that our pride is not greater than God's will, our lives will have no fulfillment.
Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. (Isaiah 48:17)
Understand that God created you for a reason. God gave you everything you need, and what He has not given you, He can as need arises. Until you are focused on living for Him, your life will not be comfortable, or convenient, or peaceful.
=====================
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 10: Genesis 1:10
Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 10: Genesis 1:10
December 23, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:10 -- And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
God names everything that He creates; then, He labels it. You were made by God, then He named you. Your name became who you are. If you will look at all the names in the Bible, they had meaning. Your parents named you what they would, but it was God who inspired them to call you what they do, whether they know it or not. Your name has meaning.
This does not mean that you will forever be the person your name says you should be at birth. Abram was given a new name in his old age: he was called Abraham. Jacob, the con-artist, was given a new name as a young man: he was called Israel. God has the power to re-name you according to His own will.
God divided the dry earth from the waters. Then He called that "good". He sets aside His children in order to accomplish His goals. What God sets aside according to His purpose, He calls "good".
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
So be assured that you are special in God's eyes. He created you with a special purpose in mind. Believe in yourself as a child of the Most High God, and embrace the tasks before you with determination and willpower. God will be there to see you through.
=======================
Day 10: Genesis 1:10
December 23, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:10 -- And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
God names everything that He creates; then, He labels it. You were made by God, then He named you. Your name became who you are. If you will look at all the names in the Bible, they had meaning. Your parents named you what they would, but it was God who inspired them to call you what they do, whether they know it or not. Your name has meaning.
This does not mean that you will forever be the person your name says you should be at birth. Abram was given a new name in his old age: he was called Abraham. Jacob, the con-artist, was given a new name as a young man: he was called Israel. God has the power to re-name you according to His own will.
God divided the dry earth from the waters. Then He called that "good". He sets aside His children in order to accomplish His goals. What God sets aside according to His purpose, He calls "good".
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
So be assured that you are special in God's eyes. He created you with a special purpose in mind. Believe in yourself as a child of the Most High God, and embrace the tasks before you with determination and willpower. God will be there to see you through.
=======================
Need to Know
Today I found out something I didn't want to know, but desperately needed to know. For me it was a sense of release upon finding out. Truth sometimes hurts.
I am struggling now with what action (or non-action) I should take in the wake of this information. Should I give up? Should I walk away and not look back? But, given the circumstances, how do I do either of those?
Is it worth it for me to continue as I have? Or, should I just shelve everything for a look-see at a later date?
I don't know. I hate those words, being who I am. I despise the not knowing. I can't grasp the concept of never finding out. But, in this case, what would bring me the most knowledge?
Sometimes letting go and letting God seems so hard. Sometimes, it's the only thing you can do. This time, however, I think that God took over, and gave me no choice.
I guess I should be thankful. I'll have to wait and see whether this is the case.
========================
I am struggling now with what action (or non-action) I should take in the wake of this information. Should I give up? Should I walk away and not look back? But, given the circumstances, how do I do either of those?
Is it worth it for me to continue as I have? Or, should I just shelve everything for a look-see at a later date?
I don't know. I hate those words, being who I am. I despise the not knowing. I can't grasp the concept of never finding out. But, in this case, what would bring me the most knowledge?
Sometimes letting go and letting God seems so hard. Sometimes, it's the only thing you can do. This time, however, I think that God took over, and gave me no choice.
I guess I should be thankful. I'll have to wait and see whether this is the case.
========================
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 9: Genesis 1:9
Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 9: Genesis 1:9
December 13, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:9 -- And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Water is the most powerful natural resource on earth. Water has destroyed, and water has restored. The Bible has in many ways shown respect to the power that water on earth is capable of, from the flood of Noah to the Living Waters that flow from the Holy city of Revelation. But, the creator is always mightier than the creation.
The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. (Psalm 93:4)
God gathered the waters in one place so that dry land could appear. It was on the dry land that the first man was created. God protects us from the raging storms of our life in much the same way. With a word, He can quiet the fears of all of His children.
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39)
Much like the apostles, we can be assured of our safety from life's raging storms by only asking "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:38)
Day 9: Genesis 1:9
December 13, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:9 -- And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Water is the most powerful natural resource on earth. Water has destroyed, and water has restored. The Bible has in many ways shown respect to the power that water on earth is capable of, from the flood of Noah to the Living Waters that flow from the Holy city of Revelation. But, the creator is always mightier than the creation.
The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. (Psalm 93:4)
God gathered the waters in one place so that dry land could appear. It was on the dry land that the first man was created. God protects us from the raging storms of our life in much the same way. With a word, He can quiet the fears of all of His children.
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39)
Much like the apostles, we can be assured of our safety from life's raging storms by only asking "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:38)
Monday, December 15, 2008
Numb
I am numb all over. I feel as if life itself has let me down. I gave all I could give, loved all I could love, prayed all I could pray, said all I could say, and nothing happened.
I feel as if I were addicted to a bad drug that isn't there anymore and I am suffering withdrawels. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?
I'm not dead yet.
I'm losing weight rapidly, at about an inch every two weeks. I've lost two pant sizes in the last month and a half. When people ask how, I shrug and say, "I don't know."
Emotional Stress.
I'm not feeling sorry for myself anymore. Now I'm just trying to survive, and make sure that I don't get behind on anything else, and catch up on what I need to catch up on.
Surviving is not living.
Surviving is work.
I'm alone because I choose to be. God forbid I should let someone else cause me more pain and heart-ache.
God forbid I should cause any to anyone else.
But, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know that I'll ever let anyone else in, but I might reach out soon enough.
===================
I feel as if I were addicted to a bad drug that isn't there anymore and I am suffering withdrawels. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?
I'm not dead yet.
I'm losing weight rapidly, at about an inch every two weeks. I've lost two pant sizes in the last month and a half. When people ask how, I shrug and say, "I don't know."
Emotional Stress.
I'm not feeling sorry for myself anymore. Now I'm just trying to survive, and make sure that I don't get behind on anything else, and catch up on what I need to catch up on.
Surviving is not living.
Surviving is work.
I'm alone because I choose to be. God forbid I should let someone else cause me more pain and heart-ache.
God forbid I should cause any to anyone else.
But, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know that I'll ever let anyone else in, but I might reach out soon enough.
===================
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 8: Genesis 1:8
Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 8: Genesis 1:8
December 13, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:8 -- And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day
Heaven is the place between the above and the below. You don't want to be above anyone. You don't want to be anyone's foot stool. You want to stand firm and move around freely. God created you as a unique and free individual, with free will and unlimited potential. God sets the only boundaries we should follow. God makes the rules. What God says will come to pass.
Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. (Psalm 74:17)
Have faith that who you are is not determined by your circumstances. God has the power to open doors that you didn't even know were there.
Day 8: Genesis 1:8
December 13, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:8 -- And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day
Heaven is the place between the above and the below. You don't want to be above anyone. You don't want to be anyone's foot stool. You want to stand firm and move around freely. God created you as a unique and free individual, with free will and unlimited potential. God sets the only boundaries we should follow. God makes the rules. What God says will come to pass.
Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. (Psalm 74:17)
Have faith that who you are is not determined by your circumstances. God has the power to open doors that you didn't even know were there.
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 7: Genesis 1:7
Devotionals of Recovery:
Day 7: Genesis 1:7
December 12, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:7 -- And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
When God says something, it comes to pass. When God commands something, He uses whatever means necessary to make it happen.
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD. (Ezekial 21:7)
God doesn't create something and then leave it alone. He creates, and then He watches what will happen with His creation. If the creation starts to stray from its intended purpose, God guides it back to the right path using whatever means necessary.
And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth. (Job 37:12)
So, when your life seems out of control, take comfort in knowing that the Lord your God is guiding you, and if you follow His lead, things will start to make sense in time.
Day 7: Genesis 1:7
December 12, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:7 -- And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
When God says something, it comes to pass. When God commands something, He uses whatever means necessary to make it happen.
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD. (Ezekial 21:7)
God doesn't create something and then leave it alone. He creates, and then He watches what will happen with His creation. If the creation starts to stray from its intended purpose, God guides it back to the right path using whatever means necessary.
And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth. (Job 37:12)
So, when your life seems out of control, take comfort in knowing that the Lord your God is guiding you, and if you follow His lead, things will start to make sense in time.
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 6: Genesis 1:6
Devotionals of Recovery
Day 6: Genesis 1:6
December 8, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:6 -- And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
God divided the earth from the sky, the light from the dark, the evil from the good. Until he did this, there was confusion. God set the whole world in order so you could be assured of the difference between right and wrong.
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:33)
God doesn't like it when you are confused about which way to turn, because this proves that other influences in your life have stepped in to become who He wants to be to you. Others will always provide obstacles in your path to righteousness. Rest assured that those who lead you astray will have their day of judgment.
I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. (Galations 5:10)
Your confidence should be in the Lord, that no matter how badly you mess up, He has the power to give you peace. He has the power to make all things new. He has the power to fix the broken hearted.
Day 6: Genesis 1:6
December 8, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:6 -- And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
God divided the earth from the sky, the light from the dark, the evil from the good. Until he did this, there was confusion. God set the whole world in order so you could be assured of the difference between right and wrong.
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:33)
God doesn't like it when you are confused about which way to turn, because this proves that other influences in your life have stepped in to become who He wants to be to you. Others will always provide obstacles in your path to righteousness. Rest assured that those who lead you astray will have their day of judgment.
I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. (Galations 5:10)
Your confidence should be in the Lord, that no matter how badly you mess up, He has the power to give you peace. He has the power to make all things new. He has the power to fix the broken hearted.
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 5: Genesis 1:5
Devotionals of Recovery
Day 5: Genesis 1:5
December 8, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
There is always a first; the first day of your life, the first time you took a step, the first time you spoke, the first day of school, etc. Each first helps you gain confidence in your abilities. Each first helps you in your decision making for the future. Each first is a new beginning for a certain part of your life. Take comfort in knowing that before the first of anything in your life happened, God was there; and, when the last thing happens in your life, God will be there.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Revelation 22:13
The first days are always the hardest. These are the days of the creation of the rest of your life. These days will shape you and mold you into the man or woman God created you to be. The first days can be as painful and scary as taking your first step as a toddler once was. Isn't it ironic that, as a toddler, your fear was replaced by sheer determination? Why do you suffer fear the way you do today, when your past firsts have already proven that determination can overcome your weaknesses?
Day 5: Genesis 1:5
December 8, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
There is always a first; the first day of your life, the first time you took a step, the first time you spoke, the first day of school, etc. Each first helps you gain confidence in your abilities. Each first helps you in your decision making for the future. Each first is a new beginning for a certain part of your life. Take comfort in knowing that before the first of anything in your life happened, God was there; and, when the last thing happens in your life, God will be there.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Revelation 22:13
The first days are always the hardest. These are the days of the creation of the rest of your life. These days will shape you and mold you into the man or woman God created you to be. The first days can be as painful and scary as taking your first step as a toddler once was. Isn't it ironic that, as a toddler, your fear was replaced by sheer determination? Why do you suffer fear the way you do today, when your past firsts have already proven that determination can overcome your weaknesses?
Friday, December 12, 2008
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 4: Genesis 1:4
Devotionals of Recovery
Day 4: Genesis 1:4
December 7, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
God divided the light from the darkness. He keeps the darkness in your life from overpowering your light days. The bad things that happen to you can never keep the good things away from you.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:5)
When you come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it doesn't mean you are perfect. It just means that you are forgiven. It doesn't mean you won't make mistakes, it just means that you will be able to repent and know that those mistakes won't keep you from the Father's love. Any time you walk away from God, you can rest assured that God will be there waiting with arms open wide to receive you when you run back.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)
Sometimes the darkness in your life seems to be a tunnel with no end; but, there is an end. There is a light at the end of every tunnel, especially if you have excepted Christ into your life. .
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
So, when you are in your dark times, all you have to do is keep going. Keep walking through the tunnel. There is nothing inside the tunnel that will keep the Lord your God from pulling you out. Sooner or later, you will see the light, and as you approach the end of the tunnel, that light will grow brighter.
You will feel joy again. You will feel love. You will feel happiness again. All that the light gives you is yours, if you just continue to walk toward it.
Day 4: Genesis 1:4
December 7, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
God divided the light from the darkness. He keeps the darkness in your life from overpowering your light days. The bad things that happen to you can never keep the good things away from you.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:5)
When you come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it doesn't mean you are perfect. It just means that you are forgiven. It doesn't mean you won't make mistakes, it just means that you will be able to repent and know that those mistakes won't keep you from the Father's love. Any time you walk away from God, you can rest assured that God will be there waiting with arms open wide to receive you when you run back.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5)
Sometimes the darkness in your life seems to be a tunnel with no end; but, there is an end. There is a light at the end of every tunnel, especially if you have excepted Christ into your life. .
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
So, when you are in your dark times, all you have to do is keep going. Keep walking through the tunnel. There is nothing inside the tunnel that will keep the Lord your God from pulling you out. Sooner or later, you will see the light, and as you approach the end of the tunnel, that light will grow brighter.
You will feel joy again. You will feel love. You will feel happiness again. All that the light gives you is yours, if you just continue to walk toward it.
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 3: Genesis 1:3
Devotionals of Recovery
Day 3: Genesis 1:3
December 6, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
God made light. There was light even before there was a sun, and that is miraculous. There can be light in your heart, even when there is no reason in your life to obtain it.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
When there is light in your heart that God creates, there is no darkness that can put it out. We become clean, and whole. The healing power of Jesus takes away all our suffering from the sin and unrighteousness in our life.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)
When you mistrust yourself due to your past mistakes, this fear puts undue strain on other relationships and events in your life. When you trust God, and walk in the light of His love, you have protection and confidence.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
Trust in God. Only in Him can you be made whole. He can create in you a light that can never be put out. He can erase your fears, and give you the confidence you need to move forward as His child.
Day 3: Genesis 1:3
December 6, 2008
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
God made light. There was light even before there was a sun, and that is miraculous. There can be light in your heart, even when there is no reason in your life to obtain it.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
When there is light in your heart that God creates, there is no darkness that can put it out. We become clean, and whole. The healing power of Jesus takes away all our suffering from the sin and unrighteousness in our life.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)
When you mistrust yourself due to your past mistakes, this fear puts undue strain on other relationships and events in your life. When you trust God, and walk in the light of His love, you have protection and confidence.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
Trust in God. Only in Him can you be made whole. He can create in you a light that can never be put out. He can erase your fears, and give you the confidence you need to move forward as His child.
Devotionals of Recovery: Day 2: Genesis 1:2
Friday, December 6, 2008
Devotionals of Recovery: Genesis 1:2
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
God has the power to make something out of nothing. When you are at the worst times of your life, and all the doors around you seem locked shut, God has the keys to all of them. You look into the mirror and you tell yourself that you are worthless, that you are nothing, and that you have nothing to offer. But God is the God of creation, and God can form you and mold you into something that is worthwhile and beautiful.
Where the Spirit of God is, there is life. As long as there is life, there is the pursuit of happiness. Only by being free, or without burden, can we ever truly obtain happiness.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
You must lay down your burdens at His feet. You must give Him your heart, your pains, your sufferings, your hurts, and your failures. Until you can do this, you will never see God in all His Glory, as He transforms your burdens into something beautiful.
To simply say that you believe in the Spirit is not enough. You must accept the direction that the Spirit is willing to take you. In order to do that, you must be willing to communicate with the Spirit, and heed the advise and direction that the Spirit is taking you.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galations 5:25)
When you are at your weakest, it seems hard to talk to anyone. It is hard to pray, because you do not trust your own judgment. You have made mistakes, committed wrongs, and the only person you have to really blame for the problems in your life is yourself. How can you ask God for what you need, when you have misjudged your needs so badly thus far?
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)
God hears the groanings of the Spirit, just as He heard the cries of the Israelites when they were in Egyptian bondage. It pains God to see His people suffer. As any good parent, He seeks ways to protect His children. You haven't received the spirit of slaves that leads you into fear again.
Instead, you have received the spirit of God's adopted children by which we call out, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)
Until you can trust and follow the lead of the Spirit, you will never know true peace, happiness, joy or freedom.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
The Spirit will not let you die.
Devotionals of Recovery: Genesis 1:2
Written by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses taken from the KJV of the Open Bible
Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
God has the power to make something out of nothing. When you are at the worst times of your life, and all the doors around you seem locked shut, God has the keys to all of them. You look into the mirror and you tell yourself that you are worthless, that you are nothing, and that you have nothing to offer. But God is the God of creation, and God can form you and mold you into something that is worthwhile and beautiful.
Where the Spirit of God is, there is life. As long as there is life, there is the pursuit of happiness. Only by being free, or without burden, can we ever truly obtain happiness.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
You must lay down your burdens at His feet. You must give Him your heart, your pains, your sufferings, your hurts, and your failures. Until you can do this, you will never see God in all His Glory, as He transforms your burdens into something beautiful.
To simply say that you believe in the Spirit is not enough. You must accept the direction that the Spirit is willing to take you. In order to do that, you must be willing to communicate with the Spirit, and heed the advise and direction that the Spirit is taking you.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galations 5:25)
When you are at your weakest, it seems hard to talk to anyone. It is hard to pray, because you do not trust your own judgment. You have made mistakes, committed wrongs, and the only person you have to really blame for the problems in your life is yourself. How can you ask God for what you need, when you have misjudged your needs so badly thus far?
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)
God hears the groanings of the Spirit, just as He heard the cries of the Israelites when they were in Egyptian bondage. It pains God to see His people suffer. As any good parent, He seeks ways to protect His children. You haven't received the spirit of slaves that leads you into fear again.
Instead, you have received the spirit of God's adopted children by which we call out, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)
Until you can trust and follow the lead of the Spirit, you will never know true peace, happiness, joy or freedom.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
The Spirit will not let you die.
Devotionals of Recovery
by Shonda Ponder
All Bible verses are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible
Day 1:
Genesis 1:1 -- In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth
There are many theories on the origin of Heaven and earth. Our schools teach us that a "Big Bang" created our solar system. But the Bible teaches us that God did it. God, alone. Many schools refuse to let God into the classroom today, because if they did, they'd have to admit that they don't have all the answers.
With a word, God created the heavens and the earth. John 1:1,2 says that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. The Bible tells us that God's creation, itself, was an act of grace. John 1:14 says And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His Glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
God made everything, without question (Hebrews 1:10). When God spoke the world into existence, the promise of Christ was already made, in that God used the word to create the world, and the word was Christ who was made flesh. This is evidenced by the prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17:5: And now, oh Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
We must, therefore, acknowledge, before we can even profess to believe that Christ came to save us from our sins, that He created the world in which we live. David acknoweled this belief when he said "of old has thou laid the foundation of the earth. And the heavens are the work of thy hands." Because, if we can believe God created it, we must also believe he will take care of us. Nehemiah 9:6 says Thou, even thou art God alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts, the earth and all the things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all. And the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
Jesus Christ is Lord. Before the mountains were rought forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. (Psalm 90:2)
When we concede that God alone created the heaven and earth, we are exercising faith in God as our creator. The world was not made spontaneously out of nothing, unless there was a God to design such an event. By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.(Psalm 33:6) Jesus was the Word made flesh, to save us from ourselves, who would chose to believe that the world's existence can be explained through science. Jesus came to teach us that we don't have all the answers, until we trust God completely. When we put our faith in God, God is our answer, andthe only right answer, at that!
It takes what God requires, our faith, to believe that God is the reason for our existence. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3) Only by faith can you be saved from your sins, and by believing Jesus is Lord can you obtain eternal life.
When we admit that God created the world, and we confess our faith in Jesus as Lord of our lives, we admit that God, who commanded the light to shine our of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
What God makes belongs to God. Psalms 74:16 says, The day is thine, the night also is thine; Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. And, God gives a purpose to everything He creates. (Psalm 104:19). If God gave purpose to the Sun and Moon, then surely God gave purpose to you and I. We may not always follow God's purpose for our lives, but God is merciful and just, and He forgave us from the beginning, and Jesus Christ is proof of that! (Psalms 136:5-9) ...his mercy endureth forever. Jesus Christ was that mercy made flesh. His death on the cross was the ultimate act of mercy for the salvation of mankind.
When God created purpose for everything He created, He gave everything in creation rules to live by. Rules are boundaries that, if crossed, exacted punishment from God. When parents set boundaries for their children, they are giving their children rules to live by. When the rules are broken, the parents -- who love their children and want what's best for them -- then have the responsibility to punish them. He hath compasseth the waters with bounds, until day and night come to an end. Job 26:10. when God makes rules, the rules are permanent. There is no discussion. God is God. God is wisdom.
Man has no wisdom unless God allows him to have it. Solomon knew this when he wrote that wisdom was in the beginning of the world "When he gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment, when He appointed the foundation of the earth." (Proverbs 8:29)
Because God is the creator, we owe Him reverence. We should honour His boundaries, and we should also remember that what God creates, He can also destroy. It is only by His grace that we are allowed to exist. (Jeremiah 5:22). When we live outside of God's laws, we cannot prevail, and God knows this. This is why He gives us free will. He knows that we will return to Him for comfort when we realize we cannot win without Him. Peter knew this when he wrote concerning those who scoff at God, knowing this first, that there shall come in the last day scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the Fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. (2 Peter 3:3-5)
God also pointed out His authority when He asked Job: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou hast understanding?" Then He goes on to inform Job how He set the boundaries on the foundations of the earth. (Job 38:1-11) Nothing happens without God, who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed forever. (Psalms 104:5) As a matter of fact, the whole chapter of Psalms 104 rehearses this fact.
There is no God but God. The strength of God surpasses any judgment and there is no proof that can argue to the contrary. He is the God who rulest the raging of the sea.(Psalms 89:9)
The Bible is full of praise for God's grace in His creation. God is omnipotent. He is, was, and always will be. He knows every cell, every ounce of water, every strand of hair on our bodies. He made us who we are.
God always makes everything in abundance. Some of what He makes, He uses now. He saves the rest for later use. While we may, at times, think we have no purpose, we must remember that God has a purpose for all creation, and He uses each creation according to His will when the time is right. God prepares that which He intends to use. We are always a work in progress! And, whatever problems we encounter, God is able to fix for His purposes. (Psalms 93:4)
Even the Prophets of old knew that Christ was Lord. Agur asked, "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in His fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?"(Proverbs 30:4) Agur didn't claim to know everything, nor did he claim to be wise, but he knew god. And this knowledge alone made him wise counsel to Solomon.
When you concede that God is creator, then you open yourself to the wisdom of God. If God can create, then he can use even the seemingly useless to fulfill His purposes. (Psalm 78:3) The God, which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people (Psalm 65:7) can quiet the actions of any enemy of His children. The Lord God is in control (Psalm 92:8) and no other entity, be they called science or idols, can be compared to His greatness (Psalm 89:6)
What God creates, God can destroy if it does not serve His intended purpose. when mankind became so wicked that it exacted the wrath of God, who chose to destroy mankind in a flood, God used one righteous man to save what was left of His creation. God wiped the slate clean. He got rid of the evil and kept the good. If He can do that in the world (Genesis 6:20), He can do it for us as individuals.
God uses His own discretion when He creates. He doesn't need our advice, but we need Him. He doesn't do anything He doesn't want to do. He answers to no one. He is God. (Jeremiah 10:12) God alone is wise. We are nothing without God's wisdom. (Psalms 104:24).
If God is wise, and if God is just, then doesn't it stand to reason that God will provide for His creation? (Job 38:41). Behold the fowls of the air: For they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feedeth them. Are ye not much beter than they? (Matthew 6:26) God created man to rule over His creation (Genesis 1:28). If He will provide for the birds, doesn't He have a greater sense of responsibility for us?
There is nothing God cannot do. He will go to any lengths for those who love Him. (Psalms 93:1). And, because God is so good, it is our responsibility to live within the bounds He has given us. We must learn His laws. We must follow His rules (Psalms 119:68).
And we must have faith in Him.
All Bible verses are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible
Day 1:
Genesis 1:1 -- In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth
There are many theories on the origin of Heaven and earth. Our schools teach us that a "Big Bang" created our solar system. But the Bible teaches us that God did it. God, alone. Many schools refuse to let God into the classroom today, because if they did, they'd have to admit that they don't have all the answers.
With a word, God created the heavens and the earth. John 1:1,2 says that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. The Bible tells us that God's creation, itself, was an act of grace. John 1:14 says And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His Glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
God made everything, without question (Hebrews 1:10). When God spoke the world into existence, the promise of Christ was already made, in that God used the word to create the world, and the word was Christ who was made flesh. This is evidenced by the prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17:5: And now, oh Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
We must, therefore, acknowledge, before we can even profess to believe that Christ came to save us from our sins, that He created the world in which we live. David acknoweled this belief when he said "of old has thou laid the foundation of the earth. And the heavens are the work of thy hands." Because, if we can believe God created it, we must also believe he will take care of us. Nehemiah 9:6 says Thou, even thou art God alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts, the earth and all the things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all. And the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
Jesus Christ is Lord. Before the mountains were rought forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. (Psalm 90:2)
When we concede that God alone created the heaven and earth, we are exercising faith in God as our creator. The world was not made spontaneously out of nothing, unless there was a God to design such an event. By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.(Psalm 33:6) Jesus was the Word made flesh, to save us from ourselves, who would chose to believe that the world's existence can be explained through science. Jesus came to teach us that we don't have all the answers, until we trust God completely. When we put our faith in God, God is our answer, andthe only right answer, at that!
It takes what God requires, our faith, to believe that God is the reason for our existence. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3) Only by faith can you be saved from your sins, and by believing Jesus is Lord can you obtain eternal life.
When we admit that God created the world, and we confess our faith in Jesus as Lord of our lives, we admit that God, who commanded the light to shine our of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
What God makes belongs to God. Psalms 74:16 says, The day is thine, the night also is thine; Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. And, God gives a purpose to everything He creates. (Psalm 104:19). If God gave purpose to the Sun and Moon, then surely God gave purpose to you and I. We may not always follow God's purpose for our lives, but God is merciful and just, and He forgave us from the beginning, and Jesus Christ is proof of that! (Psalms 136:5-9) ...his mercy endureth forever. Jesus Christ was that mercy made flesh. His death on the cross was the ultimate act of mercy for the salvation of mankind.
When God created purpose for everything He created, He gave everything in creation rules to live by. Rules are boundaries that, if crossed, exacted punishment from God. When parents set boundaries for their children, they are giving their children rules to live by. When the rules are broken, the parents -- who love their children and want what's best for them -- then have the responsibility to punish them. He hath compasseth the waters with bounds, until day and night come to an end. Job 26:10. when God makes rules, the rules are permanent. There is no discussion. God is God. God is wisdom.
Man has no wisdom unless God allows him to have it. Solomon knew this when he wrote that wisdom was in the beginning of the world "When he gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment, when He appointed the foundation of the earth." (Proverbs 8:29)
Because God is the creator, we owe Him reverence. We should honour His boundaries, and we should also remember that what God creates, He can also destroy. It is only by His grace that we are allowed to exist. (Jeremiah 5:22). When we live outside of God's laws, we cannot prevail, and God knows this. This is why He gives us free will. He knows that we will return to Him for comfort when we realize we cannot win without Him. Peter knew this when he wrote concerning those who scoff at God, knowing this first, that there shall come in the last day scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the Fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. (2 Peter 3:3-5)
God also pointed out His authority when He asked Job: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou hast understanding?" Then He goes on to inform Job how He set the boundaries on the foundations of the earth. (Job 38:1-11) Nothing happens without God, who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed forever. (Psalms 104:5) As a matter of fact, the whole chapter of Psalms 104 rehearses this fact.
There is no God but God. The strength of God surpasses any judgment and there is no proof that can argue to the contrary. He is the God who rulest the raging of the sea.(Psalms 89:9)
The Bible is full of praise for God's grace in His creation. God is omnipotent. He is, was, and always will be. He knows every cell, every ounce of water, every strand of hair on our bodies. He made us who we are.
God always makes everything in abundance. Some of what He makes, He uses now. He saves the rest for later use. While we may, at times, think we have no purpose, we must remember that God has a purpose for all creation, and He uses each creation according to His will when the time is right. God prepares that which He intends to use. We are always a work in progress! And, whatever problems we encounter, God is able to fix for His purposes. (Psalms 93:4)
Even the Prophets of old knew that Christ was Lord. Agur asked, "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in His fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?"(Proverbs 30:4) Agur didn't claim to know everything, nor did he claim to be wise, but he knew god. And this knowledge alone made him wise counsel to Solomon.
When you concede that God is creator, then you open yourself to the wisdom of God. If God can create, then he can use even the seemingly useless to fulfill His purposes. (Psalm 78:3) The God, which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people (Psalm 65:7) can quiet the actions of any enemy of His children. The Lord God is in control (Psalm 92:8) and no other entity, be they called science or idols, can be compared to His greatness (Psalm 89:6)
What God creates, God can destroy if it does not serve His intended purpose. when mankind became so wicked that it exacted the wrath of God, who chose to destroy mankind in a flood, God used one righteous man to save what was left of His creation. God wiped the slate clean. He got rid of the evil and kept the good. If He can do that in the world (Genesis 6:20), He can do it for us as individuals.
God uses His own discretion when He creates. He doesn't need our advice, but we need Him. He doesn't do anything He doesn't want to do. He answers to no one. He is God. (Jeremiah 10:12) God alone is wise. We are nothing without God's wisdom. (Psalms 104:24).
If God is wise, and if God is just, then doesn't it stand to reason that God will provide for His creation? (Job 38:41). Behold the fowls of the air: For they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feedeth them. Are ye not much beter than they? (Matthew 6:26) God created man to rule over His creation (Genesis 1:28). If He will provide for the birds, doesn't He have a greater sense of responsibility for us?
There is nothing God cannot do. He will go to any lengths for those who love Him. (Psalms 93:1). And, because God is so good, it is our responsibility to live within the bounds He has given us. We must learn His laws. We must follow His rules (Psalms 119:68).
And we must have faith in Him.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
I find myself starting over again at this point in my life. It's as if all my efforts have been thrown in my face and grinded into my skin. My emotional net worth has been reduced to nothing.
I am going back to God for help, as usual. I am the one who withdrew from Him, and now I am the one who has to make amends for it. It's funny, because at the time, I thought I was where I was supposed to be. But, I wasn't. I was simply where I wanted to be and hoped that was enough. It wasn't.
I am now taking inventory of my life. What do I have? What do I want? What do I need? and Where do I go from here?
I am going to get on my knees and ask God to take me where He thinks I should be, and to allow me to prosper in that direction. I don't know what else to do. I don't want to do anything, but if I have to do something, it has to be this.
I am suffering from major depression right now, and fighting to keep it from controlling my health and mental well-being. I am exercising, forcing myself to continue to work. I am forcing myself to eat. I am forcing myself to bathe and clean the house. I am forcing myself, basically, to live.
This, too, shall pass.
Right?
Let us hope so.
==========================
I am going back to God for help, as usual. I am the one who withdrew from Him, and now I am the one who has to make amends for it. It's funny, because at the time, I thought I was where I was supposed to be. But, I wasn't. I was simply where I wanted to be and hoped that was enough. It wasn't.
I am now taking inventory of my life. What do I have? What do I want? What do I need? and Where do I go from here?
I am going to get on my knees and ask God to take me where He thinks I should be, and to allow me to prosper in that direction. I don't know what else to do. I don't want to do anything, but if I have to do something, it has to be this.
I am suffering from major depression right now, and fighting to keep it from controlling my health and mental well-being. I am exercising, forcing myself to continue to work. I am forcing myself to eat. I am forcing myself to bathe and clean the house. I am forcing myself, basically, to live.
This, too, shall pass.
Right?
Let us hope so.
==========================
Friday, October 31, 2008
Shonda Ponder at 40
October 30, 2008 was my fortieth birthday. I was behind on bills, again. I had no money to party with; and, I was fighting depression because I had no phone minutes and couldn’t even talk to my kids. However, I had a lot to look forward to.
The first thing I did on my fortieth birthday was settle disputes on my email list that threatened the integrity of the Citizen’s Network Alliance if it wasn’t addressed. The dispute was religious in nature, and the fight was over who’s religion was the true religion. In the end, God won out; not because He was forceful, but because He was, period.
I left the house to pay some bills, so I could prepare for the celebration ahead. On the way back home from paying my computer bill, I got stopped by a cop for going 13 miles over the speed limit. He let me go because it was my birthday (and I have no record). I thanked him and went on my way.
Around 5:00 PM, I was disappointed and depressed. No one said “Happy Birthday” to me. No one called me. There was no cake. My boyfriend usually gets cake for all his friends on their birthday, and I felt he wasn’t even thinking about me. I started crying. Brad, my boyfriend, said, “Cheer up, it’s your birthday.”
I said, “Why. I got no phone call, and no cake, and no money.” He brought out a big Chocolate cake with chocolate candy icing and the words, “Happy Birthday, Shonda” on top. Everyone in the bar sang “Happy Birthday” to me, and we all ate cake. Then he said, “I can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t get you a cake for your birthday.”
We ate at China King, my favorite restaurant, and then we went bar hopping. I wanted to go somewhere different, because the Arrow bar was too much like home. I wanted to do something different. We went to the Frosty Mug, and I drank wine coolers and sang a song on Karaoke with Dave and Vickie Vaughn.
Then, we left there and went to the Double R, where Brad almost had to back up a Banshee who was trying to cool a potential problem in the bar. I drank two margaritas and a Budweiser, and I met Patty, and Christy Kirby, who knows my mom. We talked about how men have testosterone and women have pheromones, and how men will always go for the women who will use them rather than the good girls, and vice versa.
When we decided to go home, I accidentally tripped on the step out the door at the Double R, and landed on the concrete with a skinned knee and elbows. Brad thought I hurt myself, and asked, “All you alright?”
“Yes, I just need the courage to get back up.” The wind had been knocked out of me, but I got up, and walked to the van and we went home and finished up the night.
=======================
The first thing I did on my fortieth birthday was settle disputes on my email list that threatened the integrity of the Citizen’s Network Alliance if it wasn’t addressed. The dispute was religious in nature, and the fight was over who’s religion was the true religion. In the end, God won out; not because He was forceful, but because He was, period.
I left the house to pay some bills, so I could prepare for the celebration ahead. On the way back home from paying my computer bill, I got stopped by a cop for going 13 miles over the speed limit. He let me go because it was my birthday (and I have no record). I thanked him and went on my way.
Around 5:00 PM, I was disappointed and depressed. No one said “Happy Birthday” to me. No one called me. There was no cake. My boyfriend usually gets cake for all his friends on their birthday, and I felt he wasn’t even thinking about me. I started crying. Brad, my boyfriend, said, “Cheer up, it’s your birthday.”
I said, “Why. I got no phone call, and no cake, and no money.” He brought out a big Chocolate cake with chocolate candy icing and the words, “Happy Birthday, Shonda” on top. Everyone in the bar sang “Happy Birthday” to me, and we all ate cake. Then he said, “I can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t get you a cake for your birthday.”
We ate at China King, my favorite restaurant, and then we went bar hopping. I wanted to go somewhere different, because the Arrow bar was too much like home. I wanted to do something different. We went to the Frosty Mug, and I drank wine coolers and sang a song on Karaoke with Dave and Vickie Vaughn.
Then, we left there and went to the Double R, where Brad almost had to back up a Banshee who was trying to cool a potential problem in the bar. I drank two margaritas and a Budweiser, and I met Patty, and Christy Kirby, who knows my mom. We talked about how men have testosterone and women have pheromones, and how men will always go for the women who will use them rather than the good girls, and vice versa.
When we decided to go home, I accidentally tripped on the step out the door at the Double R, and landed on the concrete with a skinned knee and elbows. Brad thought I hurt myself, and asked, “All you alright?”
“Yes, I just need the courage to get back up.” The wind had been knocked out of me, but I got up, and walked to the van and we went home and finished up the night.
=======================
Monday, October 27, 2008
Introduction to Email Protocols
Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)
Part 7: Introduction to Email Protocols
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Okay, now that we've spent time highlighting some important pointers about how to make your web site promotion-friendly, now we are going to talk about how to make recruits work for you. Once you have mastered the art of managing all of what we have covered so far, and a few more pointers we will cover, please be advised: your journey in the promotional arena is far from over.
We will discuss many more ways to promote your messages, and we will offer you many ways to enhance your skills on these subjects. But, for now, if all you are hoping for is a good solid web site that works at the grass-roots level, what you have already learned is sufficient for that. This section will help you to enhance that effort and make the grass-roots promotional quality even better.
Once you have your web site up and running, and you have laid out all the points of communication and interraction with your potential recruits, you will want to find a way to make that potential even stronger by putting your recruits to work. One way to do this is through the use of email. Most, who are amateur recruits in this area, simply will copy and paste your message from your web page onto their email and then send it to everyone in their address book. This is great for promotional value, but it also tends to open up other potential recruits to problems that they would rather not have.
For instance: most people who are likely to talk to other people about your work do not want their email addresses publicized for the world to see. If other recruitERS see that email address, they are likely to abuse it by adding it to their lists without permission, simply because the message may be in line with their own, and they make the assumption that the person who received that message is also an active recruitER. This may sometimes cause potential recruits to ask to not be sent any more messages from this person, and could cause them to drop out as an active player completely.
So, when sending emails about your message to great numbers of people you will need to have followed certain rules of thumb in order to keep the peace and to gain the trust of any potential recruits that may come to help you in the future. You must always be mindful of their privacy. You must always be thankful for their efforts. And, you must always work to make sure they are representing you in the best way possible so as not to cause any future misconceptions about your message.
It is virtually impossible (no pun intended) for you to know who your many recruiters are on the World Wide Web. So, here, we are going to discuss some wasy to cover your own behind in light of certain problems that may or may not arise in the future.
At Friends of Liberty, from time to time, I'll get emails that ask me to stop sending them emails from my lists. Sometimes, these are from people who are not even on my list. In order to insure that I am not violating any laws against spamming, there are certain rules that I must adhere to in order to be assured that no interruption of my networking ability will occur. We will speak about how to go about this as well.
This is Part 7 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
============================
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)
Part 7: Introduction to Email Protocols
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Okay, now that we've spent time highlighting some important pointers about how to make your web site promotion-friendly, now we are going to talk about how to make recruits work for you. Once you have mastered the art of managing all of what we have covered so far, and a few more pointers we will cover, please be advised: your journey in the promotional arena is far from over.
We will discuss many more ways to promote your messages, and we will offer you many ways to enhance your skills on these subjects. But, for now, if all you are hoping for is a good solid web site that works at the grass-roots level, what you have already learned is sufficient for that. This section will help you to enhance that effort and make the grass-roots promotional quality even better.
Once you have your web site up and running, and you have laid out all the points of communication and interraction with your potential recruits, you will want to find a way to make that potential even stronger by putting your recruits to work. One way to do this is through the use of email. Most, who are amateur recruits in this area, simply will copy and paste your message from your web page onto their email and then send it to everyone in their address book. This is great for promotional value, but it also tends to open up other potential recruits to problems that they would rather not have.
For instance: most people who are likely to talk to other people about your work do not want their email addresses publicized for the world to see. If other recruitERS see that email address, they are likely to abuse it by adding it to their lists without permission, simply because the message may be in line with their own, and they make the assumption that the person who received that message is also an active recruitER. This may sometimes cause potential recruits to ask to not be sent any more messages from this person, and could cause them to drop out as an active player completely.
So, when sending emails about your message to great numbers of people you will need to have followed certain rules of thumb in order to keep the peace and to gain the trust of any potential recruits that may come to help you in the future. You must always be mindful of their privacy. You must always be thankful for their efforts. And, you must always work to make sure they are representing you in the best way possible so as not to cause any future misconceptions about your message.
It is virtually impossible (no pun intended) for you to know who your many recruiters are on the World Wide Web. So, here, we are going to discuss some wasy to cover your own behind in light of certain problems that may or may not arise in the future.
At Friends of Liberty, from time to time, I'll get emails that ask me to stop sending them emails from my lists. Sometimes, these are from people who are not even on my list. In order to insure that I am not violating any laws against spamming, there are certain rules that I must adhere to in order to be assured that no interruption of my networking ability will occur. We will speak about how to go about this as well.
This is Part 7 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
============================
Losers
Originally written on May 16, 2002 - by Shonda Ponder
One of the things that frustrates me the most about Patriots and Freedom-lovers is their overwhelming desire to lose. While we keep griping on email lists and websites about how the government is infringing on our rights, we are, in essence, contributing to the government's efforts to expunge our Bill of Rights by refusing to do anything about it.
Here are some common phrases that I get tired of hearing on a day to day basis.
***"The American People are uneducated. What the American People needs is to be educated on how their rights are being taken away, then they will do something about it!"
The reality is, most Americans DO know what is going on. The problem that the general public has with this "educated information" is that they don't know what to do with it, or about it. What needs to happen, in my honest opinion, is that the American People need to be taught how to write letters to their congressmen. They don't need to be told that they should. It isn't that they don't think it would work, it's that they don't know how to do it!
I know this because I can sit here and tell someone who runs yourwebsiteforfreedom.org that they should send out a press release about their website, and nine times out of ten, I will get ignored. When I finally get down to the root of the problem, it turns out that they do not feel confident in sending those press releases because they don't know how, or who to send them to.
***"That organization only wants to make money. So, I won't support them"
Okay, let's look at this phrase for a minute: Let's say the organization in question has a website at 101gunfacts.org. And, let's pretend that this website gets five million hits a day. That would make their internet bill closed to $600 per month. Their phone bill is likely $500 per month, due to phone calls to radio stations, and
people who need their story verified on gun infringements. And, if 101gunfacts is a news site, they have to use the telephone to do interviews, and $500 is really a REAL low estimate of what it probably actually costs. This does not include postal newsletters for people who do not own a computer. The monthly mail-out costs including shipping and handling can run close to $200 per month (again, a REAL low estimate of the probable actual cost). The organization probably employs someone to work and update the site if it is updated daily -- which amounts to at least another $500 per month in service fees for scripts and software, and let's not forget labor.
Now, let's say they send out an email that asks people to donate. They get 2% of the total emails sent out that will respond. That is roughly one hundred thousand people who visit their website who will more than likely write to encourage them to keep up the good work. But, the scary part is that only 2% of those will donate anything to support them. So, 2,000 people end up sending a donation that they probably
will only send once per year. Do you think that will cover the costs of running such a large organization (especially if the organization has a recruitment program, complete with Television and radio ads that also cost quite a bit of money -- and let's not forget the staff members who often have to work full time for the organization and have families to feed and bills to pay as well!) for the whole year?
And you wonder why they keep asking for donations, or they start offering products for sale to meet their expenses? There is no such thing as a free ride, even when it's free.
By not supporting that organization you are helping the government infringe on your rights.
***"We had a rally for (your favorite cause) the other day, and none of the media showed up!"
Oh, that's a good one. Let me ask you this: Did the chairmen of the organization who put together the rally send out timely press releases that were professionally written? By this I mean, did they check for spelling, punctuation and grammar, and did they provide the correct contact information, complete with dates and times. And did they hold a press conference about the rally at the rally, after sending a media
advisory inviting the media to attend? Nine times out of ten, the answer is "No".
But, people like to complain about being ignored, don't they?
***"No one supported (your event)"
Before the event, did you solicit the support of nearby businesses? Did you search for sponsors aggressively? Or, did you just put up a passive note on your web page about needing sponsors, while you negated to send a press release out about the existence of your website?
If you want to do something pro-active, rather than complain about what is not being done, the best thing you can do for your cause is learn how to promote it.
Friends of Liberty offers that information for free in our Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur. All you have to do is sign up for it. Friends of Liberty doesn't just tell you what you need to do, we show you HOW to do it.
If you aren't signing up for it, do us all a favor and stop griping over things you refuse to do anything about.
==============================
One of the things that frustrates me the most about Patriots and Freedom-lovers is their overwhelming desire to lose. While we keep griping on email lists and websites about how the government is infringing on our rights, we are, in essence, contributing to the government's efforts to expunge our Bill of Rights by refusing to do anything about it.
Here are some common phrases that I get tired of hearing on a day to day basis.
***"The American People are uneducated. What the American People needs is to be educated on how their rights are being taken away, then they will do something about it!"
The reality is, most Americans DO know what is going on. The problem that the general public has with this "educated information" is that they don't know what to do with it, or about it. What needs to happen, in my honest opinion, is that the American People need to be taught how to write letters to their congressmen. They don't need to be told that they should. It isn't that they don't think it would work, it's that they don't know how to do it!
I know this because I can sit here and tell someone who runs yourwebsiteforfreedom.org that they should send out a press release about their website, and nine times out of ten, I will get ignored. When I finally get down to the root of the problem, it turns out that they do not feel confident in sending those press releases because they don't know how, or who to send them to.
***"That organization only wants to make money. So, I won't support them"
Okay, let's look at this phrase for a minute: Let's say the organization in question has a website at 101gunfacts.org. And, let's pretend that this website gets five million hits a day. That would make their internet bill closed to $600 per month. Their phone bill is likely $500 per month, due to phone calls to radio stations, and
people who need their story verified on gun infringements. And, if 101gunfacts is a news site, they have to use the telephone to do interviews, and $500 is really a REAL low estimate of what it probably actually costs. This does not include postal newsletters for people who do not own a computer. The monthly mail-out costs including shipping and handling can run close to $200 per month (again, a REAL low estimate of the probable actual cost). The organization probably employs someone to work and update the site if it is updated daily -- which amounts to at least another $500 per month in service fees for scripts and software, and let's not forget labor.
Now, let's say they send out an email that asks people to donate. They get 2% of the total emails sent out that will respond. That is roughly one hundred thousand people who visit their website who will more than likely write to encourage them to keep up the good work. But, the scary part is that only 2% of those will donate anything to support them. So, 2,000 people end up sending a donation that they probably
will only send once per year. Do you think that will cover the costs of running such a large organization (especially if the organization has a recruitment program, complete with Television and radio ads that also cost quite a bit of money -- and let's not forget the staff members who often have to work full time for the organization and have families to feed and bills to pay as well!) for the whole year?
And you wonder why they keep asking for donations, or they start offering products for sale to meet their expenses? There is no such thing as a free ride, even when it's free.
By not supporting that organization you are helping the government infringe on your rights.
***"We had a rally for (your favorite cause) the other day, and none of the media showed up!"
Oh, that's a good one. Let me ask you this: Did the chairmen of the organization who put together the rally send out timely press releases that were professionally written? By this I mean, did they check for spelling, punctuation and grammar, and did they provide the correct contact information, complete with dates and times. And did they hold a press conference about the rally at the rally, after sending a media
advisory inviting the media to attend? Nine times out of ten, the answer is "No".
But, people like to complain about being ignored, don't they?
***"No one supported (your event)"
Before the event, did you solicit the support of nearby businesses? Did you search for sponsors aggressively? Or, did you just put up a passive note on your web page about needing sponsors, while you negated to send a press release out about the existence of your website?
If you want to do something pro-active, rather than complain about what is not being done, the best thing you can do for your cause is learn how to promote it.
Friends of Liberty offers that information for free in our Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur. All you have to do is sign up for it. Friends of Liberty doesn't just tell you what you need to do, we show you HOW to do it.
If you aren't signing up for it, do us all a favor and stop griping over things you refuse to do anything about.
==============================
Link Exchanges
Part 13: Link Exchanges
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Another good way to insure great promotion is through link exchanges. Most web site owners love to be able to see their sites listed on other sites for recommended eading. And, you will be tempted, as you travel the internet, to list everyone you come across on your links page.
This is great, if you are looking to help everyone. However, this does not insure that you, yourself, will be helped.
When you are creating your web site, you will want to create a separate page for just links. This will insure that people who come to visit your site will see only what you want them to see on the front page of your site. Then, if they want any more information from other sources, they can go to your links page and check out all the great links there.
In order to further promote your links page, you can place an email address where people can write to you if they wish to be listed on your links page. At Friends of Liberty, we provide a submission form for our readers to submit their web site if they wish to have it linked to us.
When you get requests to have another site listed on your links page, you must first be certain that your own site has a chance for promotion on their site before you accept. For instance, when you get a link submission, the first thing you do is go to their website and check to see if they have placed a link to your site on their site. If they have not, you should write to them with a simple email to explain to them that the policy at your web site is to only provide a link to those sites that provide a reciprocal link. You should tell them that you will re-check their site in a few days and then reconsider placing their link on your links page. Usually, the link is found on their site with-in one or two days, and then you can follow up by placing their link on yours.
But, don't stop there.
Be sure to also list those sites who have simply linked one of your articles of interest to them. Sometimes they won't tell you they have done so, and you find out when you are checking your referring URLs in your stats area. Anyone who helps to further your work should be listed on your links page -- even if the site is not related to what you are doing.
The promotional value of a simple link on a good web site is highly profitable toward getting your message out.
This is Part 13 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
===========================
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Another good way to insure great promotion is through link exchanges. Most web site owners love to be able to see their sites listed on other sites for recommended eading. And, you will be tempted, as you travel the internet, to list everyone you come across on your links page.
This is great, if you are looking to help everyone. However, this does not insure that you, yourself, will be helped.
When you are creating your web site, you will want to create a separate page for just links. This will insure that people who come to visit your site will see only what you want them to see on the front page of your site. Then, if they want any more information from other sources, they can go to your links page and check out all the great links there.
In order to further promote your links page, you can place an email address where people can write to you if they wish to be listed on your links page. At Friends of Liberty, we provide a submission form for our readers to submit their web site if they wish to have it linked to us.
When you get requests to have another site listed on your links page, you must first be certain that your own site has a chance for promotion on their site before you accept. For instance, when you get a link submission, the first thing you do is go to their website and check to see if they have placed a link to your site on their site. If they have not, you should write to them with a simple email to explain to them that the policy at your web site is to only provide a link to those sites that provide a reciprocal link. You should tell them that you will re-check their site in a few days and then reconsider placing their link on your links page. Usually, the link is found on their site with-in one or two days, and then you can follow up by placing their link on yours.
But, don't stop there.
Be sure to also list those sites who have simply linked one of your articles of interest to them. Sometimes they won't tell you they have done so, and you find out when you are checking your referring URLs in your stats area. Anyone who helps to further your work should be listed on your links page -- even if the site is not related to what you are doing.
The promotional value of a simple link on a good web site is highly profitable toward getting your message out.
This is Part 13 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
===========================
What are Meta Tags?
Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)
Part 11: What are Meta Tags?
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
If you've followed all of the ideas and information I've presented to you so far, then you are well on your way to making your message work for you. With the information that is presented so far, you have completed all the necessary steps in making a grass-roots effort come alive. With the new recruits you gather using these techniques, you will be able to make your message go further than you have ever dreamed possible.
So, now we are going to discuss a few more ways to tweak your work so that your message will be seen by many more eyes, and we will discuss the importance of each of them as they relate to your success.
Let's talk about metatags for a moment.
"What in the world are Meta Tags?!", you are thinking.
According to one marketing business on the internet, "Meta tags are an important part of a site's Internet presence and visibility. They are specific instructions for search engines spiders and robots." But, if you're like me, that didn't tell you what you want to know. The best way I know how to explain it is like this:
In most of the HTML mark up of nearly all web sites on the internet is a section where you can place the title of your page. This section is usually marked in the HTML code by the HEAD <> tags. Inside these tags, you can put a keyword and description code into your webpage that will attract search engines.
Search engine companies will regularly "spider" the internet for new sites and pages to add to their search engine's performance. This automated process also serves to "rank" your site's visibility. Most people on the internet will use a search engine to find what they are looking for.
Wouldn't it be nice if that person saw a link to your site every time they looked for something on the internet?
The goal is to get your site ranked in the top ten position when using certain keywords in a search engine to look for information. Many times, it is useless to put one keyword in a metatag that best describes your article. The best thing to do is type in several good keywords that describe your website.
To demonstrate how this works, go to http://www.1blink.com (a search engine web site that searches about five or ten engines when you type keywords about information you are looking for into the search field at the top of the page). When you get there, type in "Friends". This is a good keyword for Friends of Liberty, since the word is widely used, and is part of the title. When the search completes, you will probably not see "Friends of Liberty" on the front page.
Most people who use the search engines don't go past the first couple of pages of results. So, we want to try to get on the first page. Another fact: Most people will type in more than one keyword when they are looking for information. So now, type in Friends and Liberty. (separate the two words with a comma). The first thing you see in the results of the search is a link to the Friends of Liberty web site.
"How did you do that?" you ask.
We use Meta Tags. There are many ways you can insert metatags onto your web page file. If you are reading this from the article at the Friends of Liberty website, here is what you can do to see what it looks like if you use Windows 98. (I don't use other versions of Windows, so am unfamiliar with how to tell you to do this with other versions).
At the top of your window, you will see, in the grey area, some buttons that are titled "file", "edit", "view", "go", "favorites", and "help". Click on "view"
Click on "source" in the "view" drop down box that you just accessed You will see a notepad open up with the HTML source code of the web page. To see what the metatags look like, look between the HEAD <> sections, below the TITLE <> section. You will see Meta Name <> tags with the variable for "Keywords" and "Description" which will be entered into any search engine that "spiders" this page. Notice the keywords in the "Keywords" section of the meta tags: promotion, advertising, amateur, Friends of liberty. This means that if a search engine has spidered this page (which is rather doubtful if this page was just published) then you can access this page using that search engine via those keywords.
When creating meta tags, make sure your keywords and description are relevent to the content of the page on which they are encoded.
If you are looking for ways to create your own meta tags, you can find scripts pretty much anywhere on the internet. Here is one that will get you started at Hotscripts.com . According to one webmaster, "Don't be discouraged if you fail to get meta tags to work for you. Sometimes, even your best efforts will fail."
This is Part 11 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
===============================
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)
Part 11: What are Meta Tags?
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
If you've followed all of the ideas and information I've presented to you so far, then you are well on your way to making your message work for you. With the information that is presented so far, you have completed all the necessary steps in making a grass-roots effort come alive. With the new recruits you gather using these techniques, you will be able to make your message go further than you have ever dreamed possible.
So, now we are going to discuss a few more ways to tweak your work so that your message will be seen by many more eyes, and we will discuss the importance of each of them as they relate to your success.
Let's talk about metatags for a moment.
"What in the world are Meta Tags?!", you are thinking.
According to one marketing business on the internet, "Meta tags are an important part of a site's Internet presence and visibility. They are specific instructions for search engines spiders and robots." But, if you're like me, that didn't tell you what you want to know. The best way I know how to explain it is like this:
In most of the HTML mark up of nearly all web sites on the internet is a section where you can place the title of your page. This section is usually marked in the HTML code by the HEAD <> tags. Inside these tags, you can put a keyword and description code into your webpage that will attract search engines.
Search engine companies will regularly "spider" the internet for new sites and pages to add to their search engine's performance. This automated process also serves to "rank" your site's visibility. Most people on the internet will use a search engine to find what they are looking for.
Wouldn't it be nice if that person saw a link to your site every time they looked for something on the internet?
The goal is to get your site ranked in the top ten position when using certain keywords in a search engine to look for information. Many times, it is useless to put one keyword in a metatag that best describes your article. The best thing to do is type in several good keywords that describe your website.
To demonstrate how this works, go to http://www.1blink.com (a search engine web site that searches about five or ten engines when you type keywords about information you are looking for into the search field at the top of the page). When you get there, type in "Friends". This is a good keyword for Friends of Liberty, since the word is widely used, and is part of the title. When the search completes, you will probably not see "Friends of Liberty" on the front page.
Most people who use the search engines don't go past the first couple of pages of results. So, we want to try to get on the first page. Another fact: Most people will type in more than one keyword when they are looking for information. So now, type in Friends and Liberty. (separate the two words with a comma). The first thing you see in the results of the search is a link to the Friends of Liberty web site.
"How did you do that?" you ask.
We use Meta Tags. There are many ways you can insert metatags onto your web page file. If you are reading this from the article at the Friends of Liberty website, here is what you can do to see what it looks like if you use Windows 98. (I don't use other versions of Windows, so am unfamiliar with how to tell you to do this with other versions).
At the top of your window, you will see, in the grey area, some buttons that are titled "file", "edit", "view", "go", "favorites", and "help". Click on "view"
Click on "source" in the "view" drop down box that you just accessed You will see a notepad open up with the HTML source code of the web page. To see what the metatags look like, look between the HEAD <> sections, below the TITLE <> section. You will see Meta Name <> tags with the variable for "Keywords" and "Description" which will be entered into any search engine that "spiders" this page. Notice the keywords in the "Keywords" section of the meta tags: promotion, advertising, amateur, Friends of liberty. This means that if a search engine has spidered this page (which is rather doubtful if this page was just published) then you can access this page using that search engine via those keywords.
When creating meta tags, make sure your keywords and description are relevent to the content of the page on which they are encoded.
If you are looking for ways to create your own meta tags, you can find scripts pretty much anywhere on the internet. Here is one that will get you started at Hotscripts.com . According to one webmaster, "Don't be discouraged if you fail to get meta tags to work for you. Sometimes, even your best efforts will fail."
This is Part 11 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
===============================
Announcement Lists Vs. Discussion Lists
Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)
Part 10: Announcement Lists Vs. Discussion Lists
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Some people confuse announcement lists with discussion lists. Here I'll try to be brief in explaining the difference between the two.
An announcement list is simply that: a list that is used for making special announcements. Most organizations use such lists to relay action alerts or special announcements concerning upcoming events, or simply announcing what is new on their web site. For web sites that update more than once per day, it is good to wait until the very end of the day to make any announcement.
Most people who will sign up to your lists do not want to get a barrage of emails every day. Yes, the information is good. Yes the information is important. But for those who only have a limited amount of time to spend on the internet, deleting hundreds of messages a day is not an option.
Discussion lists are great for think tanks who like to exchange emails concerning a project or idea. When you have a substantial amount of subscribers to your discussion list, this effort can sometimes be overwhelming for new recruits, who struggle to keep up with what each message is referring to. So, you must make sure that your discussion list stays on topic, or is at least informational in its content.
Some new recruits will join a discussion list without understanding that the list is meant to support group participation and exchange of emails. This could cause them to want to unsubscribe quickly, due to the amount of emails they will receive. When this happens, rather than be angry at them, try to find out why they are unsubscribing, and then offer to sign them up to your announcement list, which they may be able to handle better.
It is always better to try to hang on to your recruits than to let them go away angry.
In order to insure that each recruit is signing up to the list that they feel comfortable with, make sure you have included on your subscription page a description of each list, and how many emails they can expect to receive (approximately). This way, they will have no excuse not to know that the list that they will sign up to will be either high or low volume.
Another good strategy is to build your list with a company that allows you to put messages in a digest form. Some email list companies have a feature that allows you to click a button that will automatically change the format in which you receive emails into a once-daily digest. This way, if your recruit wants to stay abreast of the discussions, they can opt to receive just one email per day with all the latest discussions included in it, rather than have each email mailed individually.
Tailoring your message to fit what your recruits can handle allows you to be able to individualize each recruits' talents to your own benefit. Remember, not everyone is alike, nor is everyone pleased by the same things. In order to accomplish your goals, you will have to learn to do it in such a way that makes other people willing to work with you to the best of their ability.
This is Part 10 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
==============================
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)
Part 10: Announcement Lists Vs. Discussion Lists
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Some people confuse announcement lists with discussion lists. Here I'll try to be brief in explaining the difference between the two.
An announcement list is simply that: a list that is used for making special announcements. Most organizations use such lists to relay action alerts or special announcements concerning upcoming events, or simply announcing what is new on their web site. For web sites that update more than once per day, it is good to wait until the very end of the day to make any announcement.
Most people who will sign up to your lists do not want to get a barrage of emails every day. Yes, the information is good. Yes the information is important. But for those who only have a limited amount of time to spend on the internet, deleting hundreds of messages a day is not an option.
Discussion lists are great for think tanks who like to exchange emails concerning a project or idea. When you have a substantial amount of subscribers to your discussion list, this effort can sometimes be overwhelming for new recruits, who struggle to keep up with what each message is referring to. So, you must make sure that your discussion list stays on topic, or is at least informational in its content.
Some new recruits will join a discussion list without understanding that the list is meant to support group participation and exchange of emails. This could cause them to want to unsubscribe quickly, due to the amount of emails they will receive. When this happens, rather than be angry at them, try to find out why they are unsubscribing, and then offer to sign them up to your announcement list, which they may be able to handle better.
It is always better to try to hang on to your recruits than to let them go away angry.
In order to insure that each recruit is signing up to the list that they feel comfortable with, make sure you have included on your subscription page a description of each list, and how many emails they can expect to receive (approximately). This way, they will have no excuse not to know that the list that they will sign up to will be either high or low volume.
Another good strategy is to build your list with a company that allows you to put messages in a digest form. Some email list companies have a feature that allows you to click a button that will automatically change the format in which you receive emails into a once-daily digest. This way, if your recruit wants to stay abreast of the discussions, they can opt to receive just one email per day with all the latest discussions included in it, rather than have each email mailed individually.
Tailoring your message to fit what your recruits can handle allows you to be able to individualize each recruits' talents to your own benefit. Remember, not everyone is alike, nor is everyone pleased by the same things. In order to accomplish your goals, you will have to learn to do it in such a way that makes other people willing to work with you to the best of their ability.
This is Part 10 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
==============================
Managing Email Lists
Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)
Part 9: Managing Email Lists
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Email is one of the most productive ways to get your message out. There is nothing like clicking a button and having a message delivered to hundreds of people at once. But, in today's atmosphere of contempt against spammers, it is vitally important that you follow certain protocols and netiquette in order to not offend those you send your messages to.
One way to help you ward off any accusations against you as a spammer is to make a list of ONLY those people who are interested in the same subjects you are interested in. Then, rather than decide you are going to email them every time you have a message to send, ask them if they are interested in receiving your messages. For first time efforts, it won't hurt to send out a one time promotional email, with a note at the beginning of the email telling the recipient why you are sending them the message, and asking him or her to reply with "subscribe" if they wish to continue to receive your messages.
Once you get an idea of who all is interested in your messages, you will want to change the format in which you send the messages. For instance, you need to find a way so that you are not having to go through your address book every time you send a message. Most people do this by creating a third party email list with a company such as Yahoo! or Topica. At both of these companies, all it takes is signing up, following a few simple instructions, and you are on your way. Also, both companies will provide you with promotional sign up boxes so that your readers can sign themselves up to your lists (which you can place on your web site) without you having to do it for them. Likewise, they can also unsubscribe if they wish without you having to do that for them as well.
Click Here http://list-etiquette.com/ for some great tips on how to best manage your lists using proper netiquette!
Starting your own email list with a 3rd party company will save you many headaches when it comes to managing your lists. You will hardly ever have to worry about getting the email addresses wrong. If someone wants to unsubscribe, they can do so for themselves (most of the time). And, you can set it up so that they can even subscribe themselves, if you want. All you have to really be concerned with is letting others know that your list is there, and how they can sign up.
Never sign someone up or send them email if you do not have permission to do so. This can cause confusion, headache, and a lot of angry would-have-been recruits.
Do NOT go through your address book and put everyone on the "TO" line of the email message. If you do not have an email list from a 3rd party company, use the BCC field or send them one at a time. Potential recruits do not like to have their email blasted out for the world to see. (Trust me, learn from one who found out the hard way...)
Do not start a discussion list until and unless you have ample time to spend managing it. It will be your responsibility to keep up the quality of the emails, prevent spammers from attacking your lists, and insure that cross-posting is in line with your own messages. It is strongly suggested that you have a good-sized announcement only list before you venture into the world of discussion.
Once you have set up your 3rd party list, make sure that with every email you send, you send instructions for how to opt in and opt out for the reader. This way, they can do so without having to email you and request that you take them off. And, they can do it themselves.
This is Part 9 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
============================
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)
Part 9: Managing Email Lists
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Email is one of the most productive ways to get your message out. There is nothing like clicking a button and having a message delivered to hundreds of people at once. But, in today's atmosphere of contempt against spammers, it is vitally important that you follow certain protocols and netiquette in order to not offend those you send your messages to.
One way to help you ward off any accusations against you as a spammer is to make a list of ONLY those people who are interested in the same subjects you are interested in. Then, rather than decide you are going to email them every time you have a message to send, ask them if they are interested in receiving your messages. For first time efforts, it won't hurt to send out a one time promotional email, with a note at the beginning of the email telling the recipient why you are sending them the message, and asking him or her to reply with "subscribe" if they wish to continue to receive your messages.
Once you get an idea of who all is interested in your messages, you will want to change the format in which you send the messages. For instance, you need to find a way so that you are not having to go through your address book every time you send a message. Most people do this by creating a third party email list with a company such as Yahoo! or Topica. At both of these companies, all it takes is signing up, following a few simple instructions, and you are on your way. Also, both companies will provide you with promotional sign up boxes so that your readers can sign themselves up to your lists (which you can place on your web site) without you having to do it for them. Likewise, they can also unsubscribe if they wish without you having to do that for them as well.
Click Here http://list-etiquette.com/ for some great tips on how to best manage your lists using proper netiquette!
Starting your own email list with a 3rd party company will save you many headaches when it comes to managing your lists. You will hardly ever have to worry about getting the email addresses wrong. If someone wants to unsubscribe, they can do so for themselves (most of the time). And, you can set it up so that they can even subscribe themselves, if you want. All you have to really be concerned with is letting others know that your list is there, and how they can sign up.
Never sign someone up or send them email if you do not have permission to do so. This can cause confusion, headache, and a lot of angry would-have-been recruits.
Do NOT go through your address book and put everyone on the "TO" line of the email message. If you do not have an email list from a 3rd party company, use the BCC field or send them one at a time. Potential recruits do not like to have their email blasted out for the world to see. (Trust me, learn from one who found out the hard way...)
Do not start a discussion list until and unless you have ample time to spend managing it. It will be your responsibility to keep up the quality of the emails, prevent spammers from attacking your lists, and insure that cross-posting is in line with your own messages. It is strongly suggested that you have a good-sized announcement only list before you venture into the world of discussion.
Once you have set up your 3rd party list, make sure that with every email you send, you send instructions for how to opt in and opt out for the reader. This way, they can do so without having to email you and request that you take them off. And, they can do it themselves.
This is Part 9 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
============================
Correspondence
Promotional Skills for The Chronically Amateur
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)
Part 8: Correspondence
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Let's face it. As Patriots, in today's world of Anti-American propaganda and the twisted mindsets of those who like to villify the Founding Fathers for their beliefs, it is obvious that as Patriots we already have one strike against us. That is, we already have an offensive message, in the eyes of many of the brainwashed public today. Our job is to win people over to our cause, and in order to do that, we have to be vitally careful about how we go about doing so.
So, here are a few rules to help you "win" people, rather than drive them away.
We must remember that there are those who do not understand your contempt of the United States Government. As patriots, we must paint the picture that we are not ANTI-GOVERNMENT. When someone confronts us as being too extremist in our anti-government points of views, we must take the time to explain to them that we are not anti-government. Instead, we must explain to them that we are PRO-CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT, and then we must explain to them how what we have taught is in line with the Constitution.
In doing so, we must never resort to personal attacks. The sheeple out there that you are teaching are mere children in a classroom of millions of megabytes of information. With this picture in mind, you must constantly and consistently be patient, and sensitive that what you are teaching them is something that is very foreign to them. The schools and classrooms of today's world have totally warped their thinking, and the allegience that they have been taught has been a lie. But to them, it is truth. To them, it is all they know. And, they will defend it until you lead them by the hand and show them a better way and make them want it.
Put yourself in their place: How would you feel if someone came and attacked you for doing something wrong that you thought you were doing right, rather than patiently explaining to you why you are wrong and showing you how to do it right? We all make mistakes. We all are human. We all will offend someone for something sometime in our lives. It is how we react to those challenges that will show your worth as a teacher, a preacher, or a leader in any way.
There are times when you will receive hate mail that causes you to scratch your head and wonder what in the world made those people write such mean things? Why are they attacking you? What did you do to deserve the mean words they said to you? When this happens, think of them in terms as little children who's parents have given you charge over them for a day. When you don't let them play on the swingset all day, and you make them come inside for their nap, they will scream and holler at you and tell you how much they hate you. Tomorrow, when they think about their actions, they will feel ashamed of how they reacted toward you.
They may still feel that they were right and you were wrong, but the contempt will go away if you are patient and do not reply in kind.
When you ask people to take part in something, many times they will act like teenagers who have been told by their parents to do their chores. Some of them are good kids. They won't like what they have to do, but they understand that if they don't do it, their lives will be miserable. Others are mediocre kids. You have to keep pushing them to get them to do whatever you need them to do. And then there are those who are spoilt rotten and used to doing what they want when they want and think that if they don't do it, it won't matter. Those are the ones you have to either spank, or give up. In today's world, spanking has received much controversial discussion. So it is much more productive to work with those few who will go out on a limb to get the job done, and the rest you treat as Christ instructed to his disciples.Shake the dust off the bottom of your feet and walk on.
Do not shut them out, lead by example. The only time you should ignore a potential recruit is if he has consistently shown contempt for your work, and has not stated why he feels the way he feels.
I know you are asking, "What does this have to do with promotion?", at which I will take this opportunity to explain:
When you go to your local Burger Joint, USA and order a whopping beef burger with everything, and you only get half of what you ask for, would you accept what you are given? No. You would likely return your burger and demand that the management make your order right. If the management shows contempt for you in return, you will never return to that business ever again. BUT, if the management has sympathy for your trouble, and offers to help you personally, and shows attention to your aggrivated condition, and works to make the order right, it will likely leave you with the impression that maybe it was an honest mistake, and you're willing to give that business a second chance. You may even tell others how great the management is there.
If you consistently return, however, and you know the burger is going to be
bad, and you consistently ask for help in correcting the problem, the management will eventually start ignoring your contempt.
As the messenger, you are the manager. Your burgers are the message. If someone doesn't understand the message, they will return it back to you with contempt. How you react to them will determine whether they will return to hear more of your message in the future, and whether they will tell others about you.
If however, the potential recruit continues to return, and you consistently have the same problems with this recruit until it is obvious that he has no desire to accept your message or there is nothing you can do to please him, then you have no choice but to stay in line with what you are doing and focus on those who do appreciate your message and show promise of becoming a recruitER.
This is Part 8 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
-----
Permission granted to repost any article in its entirety, so long as the URL is included in the post, and proper credit is given to the author, unless otherwise specified.
===================
(How to Get Your Message to the American Sheeple)
Part 8: Correspondence
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Let's face it. As Patriots, in today's world of Anti-American propaganda and the twisted mindsets of those who like to villify the Founding Fathers for their beliefs, it is obvious that as Patriots we already have one strike against us. That is, we already have an offensive message, in the eyes of many of the brainwashed public today. Our job is to win people over to our cause, and in order to do that, we have to be vitally careful about how we go about doing so.
So, here are a few rules to help you "win" people, rather than drive them away.
We must remember that there are those who do not understand your contempt of the United States Government. As patriots, we must paint the picture that we are not ANTI-GOVERNMENT. When someone confronts us as being too extremist in our anti-government points of views, we must take the time to explain to them that we are not anti-government. Instead, we must explain to them that we are PRO-CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT, and then we must explain to them how what we have taught is in line with the Constitution.
In doing so, we must never resort to personal attacks. The sheeple out there that you are teaching are mere children in a classroom of millions of megabytes of information. With this picture in mind, you must constantly and consistently be patient, and sensitive that what you are teaching them is something that is very foreign to them. The schools and classrooms of today's world have totally warped their thinking, and the allegience that they have been taught has been a lie. But to them, it is truth. To them, it is all they know. And, they will defend it until you lead them by the hand and show them a better way and make them want it.
Put yourself in their place: How would you feel if someone came and attacked you for doing something wrong that you thought you were doing right, rather than patiently explaining to you why you are wrong and showing you how to do it right? We all make mistakes. We all are human. We all will offend someone for something sometime in our lives. It is how we react to those challenges that will show your worth as a teacher, a preacher, or a leader in any way.
There are times when you will receive hate mail that causes you to scratch your head and wonder what in the world made those people write such mean things? Why are they attacking you? What did you do to deserve the mean words they said to you? When this happens, think of them in terms as little children who's parents have given you charge over them for a day. When you don't let them play on the swingset all day, and you make them come inside for their nap, they will scream and holler at you and tell you how much they hate you. Tomorrow, when they think about their actions, they will feel ashamed of how they reacted toward you.
They may still feel that they were right and you were wrong, but the contempt will go away if you are patient and do not reply in kind.
When you ask people to take part in something, many times they will act like teenagers who have been told by their parents to do their chores. Some of them are good kids. They won't like what they have to do, but they understand that if they don't do it, their lives will be miserable. Others are mediocre kids. You have to keep pushing them to get them to do whatever you need them to do. And then there are those who are spoilt rotten and used to doing what they want when they want and think that if they don't do it, it won't matter. Those are the ones you have to either spank, or give up. In today's world, spanking has received much controversial discussion. So it is much more productive to work with those few who will go out on a limb to get the job done, and the rest you treat as Christ instructed to his disciples.Shake the dust off the bottom of your feet and walk on.
Do not shut them out, lead by example. The only time you should ignore a potential recruit is if he has consistently shown contempt for your work, and has not stated why he feels the way he feels.
I know you are asking, "What does this have to do with promotion?", at which I will take this opportunity to explain:
When you go to your local Burger Joint, USA and order a whopping beef burger with everything, and you only get half of what you ask for, would you accept what you are given? No. You would likely return your burger and demand that the management make your order right. If the management shows contempt for you in return, you will never return to that business ever again. BUT, if the management has sympathy for your trouble, and offers to help you personally, and shows attention to your aggrivated condition, and works to make the order right, it will likely leave you with the impression that maybe it was an honest mistake, and you're willing to give that business a second chance. You may even tell others how great the management is there.
If you consistently return, however, and you know the burger is going to be
bad, and you consistently ask for help in correcting the problem, the management will eventually start ignoring your contempt.
As the messenger, you are the manager. Your burgers are the message. If someone doesn't understand the message, they will return it back to you with contempt. How you react to them will determine whether they will return to hear more of your message in the future, and whether they will tell others about you.
If however, the potential recruit continues to return, and you consistently have the same problems with this recruit until it is obvious that he has no desire to accept your message or there is nothing you can do to please him, then you have no choice but to stay in line with what you are doing and focus on those who do appreciate your message and show promise of becoming a recruitER.
This is Part 8 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
-----
Permission granted to repost any article in its entirety, so long as the URL is included in the post, and proper credit is given to the author, unless otherwise specified.
===================
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Unforgettables
Part 6: Unforgettables
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
When building your website there are certain rules that you must follow in order to insure that your site will get promoted through the natural process of "word of mouth". So, in this section we are going to talk about a few of those rules.
Do you remember (if you are old enough...) back in the 70's when you would watch television and see all the commercials that would appear during your favorite prime-time tv show or sit-com? One that comes to me are the Coca-cola commercials:
Coke: It's the Real Thing!
Or, there was the song: "I want to buy the world a coke and live in harmony...." (or something like that, don't quote me).
And then, there were the Dr. Pepper commercials. My mom still remembers one from when she was a child:
"Dr. Pepper is the friendly pepper-upper"
And, of course, there is the famous Oscar Mayer commercials:
"My bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R
My bologna has a second name it's M-A-Y-E-R
I love to eat it every day,
and if you ask me why I'll say ...
Because Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!"
Who could forget that?
It's that very quality -- the "unforgettableness" -- that makes promotion work. The way a business goes about implanting images or "seeds" in your mind about their product by the way they present their product is called "branding". As a web-site, Friends of Liberty uses branding techniques to help get the word out about Friends of Liberty on the World Wide Web. After all, writing, "Dear Friends of Liberty" is much better sounding than "Dear whoever values freedom and liberty". The meaning of the words, "Friends of Liberty" can change to fit whatever context you are using it in at the time.
For instance: Friends of Liberty, as the name of a website, makes it obvious that when you come to this web site, you are going to be presented with information from those who value liberty. Friends of Liberty as an organization makes obvious that this organization is about and for those who believe in Liberty. Friends of Liberty as a person, when speaking to those on our email lists, makes the title a more personal one for our readers to understand and enjoy. And, last of all, the title "Friends of Liberty" is an invitation in itself to become involved.
This type of advertising is also called "Branding". Branding is usually done by using logos. Logos are "subtitles" that tell the potential recruit what your site is about in about as easy as possible a language so that they will remember. Branding is like putting a face on the written word.
Your title should be something that everyone in America can relate to and identify with. In the Patriot Community, in some cases, it should be something that America should identify with if they don't. Your title and logo will be what makes or breaks your organization.
Before Friends of Liberty was Friends of Liberty, our title was "Freedom-Lovers International". Some family-friendly search engines would not accept our links because the filters on those engines would quarantine the title, due to the "lovers" part of the title. This caused the filters to treat it as a possible pornographic site. So, rather than be stubborn and take the chance of much needed information getting out to the public, we changed our name. As I look back on this, I am sometimes thankful, because Friends of Liberty has had much more success than Freedom-Lovers International ever had.
The name "Friends of Liberty" was suggested by a nomination process, and agreed upon by our readers before we ever used the title. (At this point, I'd like to give a big "THANK YOU" to Daniel New, who first presented the title as a possible alternative).
Once you have your title and your logo all planned out, you need to make sure your site has certain pages on it that the readers can go to for reference about yourself. You should have a page dedicated solely to telling the readers who you (or your organization) are and what you believe, and why you have created that web site or organization.
Then, you need to put your organization's contact information on another page. Some smaller organizations can include the contact on the "about" page, but for larger organizations that use multiple email accounts, a separate page is more convenient.
You should NEVER post everything on one page. This is because if you have great numbers of different types of information, the page can become rather large, and it makes it hard to download. If a potential recruit sees your link and decides to find out more about you, and then when he gets to your page he has trouble downloading it, or it takes more than 60-seconds to download it, he will simply skip it, and you will have lost another potential recruit -- plus many more under him.
A good rule of thumb to remember is that most people are in a hurry even when they are not in a hurry. Most people, by nature, are impatient and demanding. This is not a bad thing. This is why and how things finally get done. But, coupled with impatience and demanding attitudes are people who constantly seek to get away with doing as little as possible. If you make them work in order to get your message, then they will simply not read it at all.
This is why good communication skills are a must.
Last, but not least, you should ALWAYS include a press release page on your website. Let's face it, the reason most media won't touch the content on your website is because they don't have permission to do so. Press releases that are issued regularly help the media by giving them certain permissions to contact you that you otherwise would not have.
We will go into more about press releases later, as they will be the most important work you will do in your promotional endeavors.
This is Part 6 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
-----
Permission granted to repost any article in its entirety, so long as the URL is included in the post, and proper credit is given to the author, unless
otherwise specified.
===============================
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
When building your website there are certain rules that you must follow in order to insure that your site will get promoted through the natural process of "word of mouth". So, in this section we are going to talk about a few of those rules.
Do you remember (if you are old enough...) back in the 70's when you would watch television and see all the commercials that would appear during your favorite prime-time tv show or sit-com? One that comes to me are the Coca-cola commercials:
Coke: It's the Real Thing!
Or, there was the song: "I want to buy the world a coke and live in harmony...." (or something like that, don't quote me).
And then, there were the Dr. Pepper commercials. My mom still remembers one from when she was a child:
"Dr. Pepper is the friendly pepper-upper"
And, of course, there is the famous Oscar Mayer commercials:
"My bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R
My bologna has a second name it's M-A-Y-E-R
I love to eat it every day,
and if you ask me why I'll say ...
Because Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!"
Who could forget that?
It's that very quality -- the "unforgettableness" -- that makes promotion work. The way a business goes about implanting images or "seeds" in your mind about their product by the way they present their product is called "branding". As a web-site, Friends of Liberty uses branding techniques to help get the word out about Friends of Liberty on the World Wide Web. After all, writing, "Dear Friends of Liberty" is much better sounding than "Dear whoever values freedom and liberty". The meaning of the words, "Friends of Liberty" can change to fit whatever context you are using it in at the time.
For instance: Friends of Liberty, as the name of a website, makes it obvious that when you come to this web site, you are going to be presented with information from those who value liberty. Friends of Liberty as an organization makes obvious that this organization is about and for those who believe in Liberty. Friends of Liberty as a person, when speaking to those on our email lists, makes the title a more personal one for our readers to understand and enjoy. And, last of all, the title "Friends of Liberty" is an invitation in itself to become involved.
This type of advertising is also called "Branding". Branding is usually done by using logos. Logos are "subtitles" that tell the potential recruit what your site is about in about as easy as possible a language so that they will remember. Branding is like putting a face on the written word.
Your title should be something that everyone in America can relate to and identify with. In the Patriot Community, in some cases, it should be something that America should identify with if they don't. Your title and logo will be what makes or breaks your organization.
Before Friends of Liberty was Friends of Liberty, our title was "Freedom-Lovers International". Some family-friendly search engines would not accept our links because the filters on those engines would quarantine the title, due to the "lovers" part of the title. This caused the filters to treat it as a possible pornographic site. So, rather than be stubborn and take the chance of much needed information getting out to the public, we changed our name. As I look back on this, I am sometimes thankful, because Friends of Liberty has had much more success than Freedom-Lovers International ever had.
The name "Friends of Liberty" was suggested by a nomination process, and agreed upon by our readers before we ever used the title. (At this point, I'd like to give a big "THANK YOU" to Daniel New, who first presented the title as a possible alternative).
Once you have your title and your logo all planned out, you need to make sure your site has certain pages on it that the readers can go to for reference about yourself. You should have a page dedicated solely to telling the readers who you (or your organization) are and what you believe, and why you have created that web site or organization.
Then, you need to put your organization's contact information on another page. Some smaller organizations can include the contact on the "about" page, but for larger organizations that use multiple email accounts, a separate page is more convenient.
You should NEVER post everything on one page. This is because if you have great numbers of different types of information, the page can become rather large, and it makes it hard to download. If a potential recruit sees your link and decides to find out more about you, and then when he gets to your page he has trouble downloading it, or it takes more than 60-seconds to download it, he will simply skip it, and you will have lost another potential recruit -- plus many more under him.
A good rule of thumb to remember is that most people are in a hurry even when they are not in a hurry. Most people, by nature, are impatient and demanding. This is not a bad thing. This is why and how things finally get done. But, coupled with impatience and demanding attitudes are people who constantly seek to get away with doing as little as possible. If you make them work in order to get your message, then they will simply not read it at all.
This is why good communication skills are a must.
Last, but not least, you should ALWAYS include a press release page on your website. Let's face it, the reason most media won't touch the content on your website is because they don't have permission to do so. Press releases that are issued regularly help the media by giving them certain permissions to contact you that you otherwise would not have.
We will go into more about press releases later, as they will be the most important work you will do in your promotional endeavors.
This is Part 6 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
-----
Permission granted to repost any article in its entirety, so long as the URL is included in the post, and proper credit is given to the author, unless
otherwise specified.
===============================
How to Get Started with a Web Site
Part 5: How to Get Started with a Web Site
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Let's say you have information about a certain congressman that you believe the public needs to know. Your first question is going to be, "How do I get my information out to the general public?"
There are many ways to do this. Among the most popular ways are email lists and web sites. Most good email lists work better with a web site to accompany it, so you might want to consider starting a web site first. We'll talk about web sites in this section.
Of course, the first thing you will need to do is learn HTML. (That's short for Hyper-text Mark-Up Language). The language is really simple to understand, once you get the hang of it. Here are a few sites that will help you:
HTML made REALLY easy (I recommend this one completely!)
HTMLementary
HTML for Beginners
Or, if you have time to sit down and read for awhile, you can buy HTML For Dummies®
I would also strongly recommend that you obtain a free web site from someone like lycos who offers them, or geocities. This is so you can have a "dummy" site to practice with.
If you are looking to get started with a more professional web site, there are lots of great hosting companies out there who will be happy to help you out. At this point, I'm going to make a shameless plug to the web hosting company I use for Friends of Liberty, Intersurge. The people there are really great about helping you fix any problems you may encounter while managing your site (and best of all, they're Patriot-friendly).
Another great company out there is FreeHostingWeb.com. They will host your site for only one initial start-up fee, including the registration to your domain of choice, and then for up to 500 mb bandwidth for free, for as long as you own your site.
If you are still unsure about how to build your own web site, and don't understand certain terms like "bandwidth" and "disc space", you can also get Web Design for Dummies
This is Part 5 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
=========================
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Let's say you have information about a certain congressman that you believe the public needs to know. Your first question is going to be, "How do I get my information out to the general public?"
There are many ways to do this. Among the most popular ways are email lists and web sites. Most good email lists work better with a web site to accompany it, so you might want to consider starting a web site first. We'll talk about web sites in this section.
Of course, the first thing you will need to do is learn HTML. (That's short for Hyper-text Mark-Up Language). The language is really simple to understand, once you get the hang of it. Here are a few sites that will help you:
HTML made REALLY easy (I recommend this one completely!)
HTMLementary
HTML for Beginners
Or, if you have time to sit down and read for awhile, you can buy HTML For Dummies®
I would also strongly recommend that you obtain a free web site from someone like lycos who offers them, or geocities. This is so you can have a "dummy" site to practice with.
If you are looking to get started with a more professional web site, there are lots of great hosting companies out there who will be happy to help you out. At this point, I'm going to make a shameless plug to the web hosting company I use for Friends of Liberty, Intersurge. The people there are really great about helping you fix any problems you may encounter while managing your site (and best of all, they're Patriot-friendly).
Another great company out there is FreeHostingWeb.com. They will host your site for only one initial start-up fee, including the registration to your domain of choice, and then for up to 500 mb bandwidth for free, for as long as you own your site.
If you are still unsure about how to build your own web site, and don't understand certain terms like "bandwidth" and "disc space", you can also get Web Design for Dummies
This is Part 5 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
=========================
Heading Off Email Problems
Part 4: Heading Off Email Problems
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Once you have a website, you may be concerned that putting your email out on the world wide web will open you up to abuse by spammers, hecklers, and stupid people. This is to be expected. If you have a problem with receiving such emails, then (speaking from experience) public service is not for you.
You might as well hang it up.
As a matter of fact, you might as well get completely off the internet.
If, however, you feel you can put up with this in order to reap the benefits of having the ability to promote your cause, you may wish to take certain steps that will help you manage your email box.
Here are some simple rules that you may wish to follow:
1. Obtain an email box that will be specifically used for information regarding your website or business on the internet.
2. Use this email box that you have created for ONLY the work you will be doing for the furtherance of your message.
3. Never put your private email box address on the world wide web.
4. Never sign up to links pages with your private email address. Always use a special address that you have created specifically for the furtherance of your message.
5. Check your public email box often. This is because it will be filled quickly if your message is successful in being promoted -- whether by spammers or by true inquirers.
6. Never sign up your public address to lists, or allow anyone to invite you to their lists using that address. You may want to set up another email box specifically for lists. (And never, EVER, anger a list owner! Getting vital information out to email lists is a big part of your promotional endeavor, which we will be getting into later.)
7. There is really no way to get rid of spammers, short of starting an email war. And, usually, when you finally get rid of one, ten more will take its place.
There are a number of options you can use to split up your email into manageable slots. The most popular way is the use of free email boxes. (Especially among those of you who like to keep your identity at a low profile, while promoting your message).
But, the most professional way is the use of your own domain. For instance: Friends of Liberty has an email box at yahoo, which I use for some business purposes, such as managing all the yahoo lists I am a member of. But, for communication on the website, I will use one of two different addresses. For public correspondence, I use editor@.... For more private correspondence concerning my work, I use shonda@.... While my very own, non-business private junk address is ponderaa1@... (I usually go in about four times a day now to delete everything, I get so many emails through there, that is why I use the alternate email addresses for business correspondence).
For some reason, people in the media are more likely to take an organization that has their own domain set up more seriously than free email address domains or web sites. The more professional you look, the more seriously people will take you.
This is Part 4 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
================================
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
Once you have a website, you may be concerned that putting your email out on the world wide web will open you up to abuse by spammers, hecklers, and stupid people. This is to be expected. If you have a problem with receiving such emails, then (speaking from experience) public service is not for you.
You might as well hang it up.
As a matter of fact, you might as well get completely off the internet.
If, however, you feel you can put up with this in order to reap the benefits of having the ability to promote your cause, you may wish to take certain steps that will help you manage your email box.
Here are some simple rules that you may wish to follow:
1. Obtain an email box that will be specifically used for information regarding your website or business on the internet.
2. Use this email box that you have created for ONLY the work you will be doing for the furtherance of your message.
3. Never put your private email box address on the world wide web.
4. Never sign up to links pages with your private email address. Always use a special address that you have created specifically for the furtherance of your message.
5. Check your public email box often. This is because it will be filled quickly if your message is successful in being promoted -- whether by spammers or by true inquirers.
6. Never sign up your public address to lists, or allow anyone to invite you to their lists using that address. You may want to set up another email box specifically for lists. (And never, EVER, anger a list owner! Getting vital information out to email lists is a big part of your promotional endeavor, which we will be getting into later.)
7. There is really no way to get rid of spammers, short of starting an email war. And, usually, when you finally get rid of one, ten more will take its place.
There are a number of options you can use to split up your email into manageable slots. The most popular way is the use of free email boxes. (Especially among those of you who like to keep your identity at a low profile, while promoting your message).
But, the most professional way is the use of your own domain. For instance: Friends of Liberty has an email box at yahoo, which I use for some business purposes, such as managing all the yahoo lists I am a member of. But, for communication on the website, I will use one of two different addresses. For public correspondence, I use editor@.... For more private correspondence concerning my work, I use shonda@.... While my very own, non-business private junk address is ponderaa1@... (I usually go in about four times a day now to delete everything, I get so many emails through there, that is why I use the alternate email addresses for business correspondence).
For some reason, people in the media are more likely to take an organization that has their own domain set up more seriously than free email address domains or web sites. The more professional you look, the more seriously people will take you.
This is Part 4 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
================================
Open Yourself Up
Part 3: Open Yourself Up
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
In Part 2, we discussed the importance of making your message easy to understand for potential recruits. In this part, we are going to discuss how you can keep those potential recruits and make them solid recruits. The best way to keep potential recruits coming back is to not only give them something they can understand, and is simple to follow, but to also allow them to interract with you so that they feel comfortable following up on the simplistic information given them.
How many times have you been to a website and thought it was great, but you felt uncomfortable about disseminating that information to others because you had no way to answer questions by those you would send the message to? For instance, let's say you are new to 2nd Amendment studies. You have come accross a great website with lots of information about the Constitution and the 2nd Amendment. You are totally supportive of gun rights. And, in your excitement, you copy and paste the message on that page to a number of people in your address book.
In less than twenty-four hours you have received three emails asking you questions about whether or not the 2nd Amendment is reserved only for the military and police.
Uh Oh.
Being new to 2nd Amendment studies, you aren't sure how to answer that, and their questions have caused you to formate your own questions in your mind. So, naturally, you return to that website that gave you that information -- because if you don't come up with an answer, your credibility has been shot among those you sent that information to.
You search the website, and you see lots of great information, but no answer to your question. So, in desparation, you search for someone you can email with your questions.
There is no email address to be found.
The potential recruit in this scenario is likely to never return to the site, and never recommend the site to anyone else, ever again. Your attempt at trying to send the message to the American People just lost a viable recruiter, and countless recruits to your cause has been lost.
Most people, on the internet today, use their email religiously. It is so much simpler to click a button than to handwrite a request and spend 35 cents for a stamp. And then, who wants to wait two weeks for an answer to a simple question? So, it would stand to reason that if you are looking to promote a message, you need to provide a simple, easy way of communicating with your potential recruits, and you need to be sure you look forward to that communication as often as possible.
When someone writes you an email and you don't answer it until a week later, many times, by then, the potential recruit has forgotten all about it, and any chance of sowing the seed that you planted into his mind is already gone. That is why you should take the time to answer each and every email that comes your way. (There are some emails that are not worthy of being answered if you want to keep the momentum of your message going. We will discuss this later).
So, let's look at where we are now:
1. First you have to have a product, idea, thought or service. Without this step, none of the others matter.
2. Then you have to make that product, idea, thought or service available to
the public.
The message has to be easy to understand, and simple to follow. There has to be a simple way of communicating with any potential recruits who have questions about your message Many times, a potential recruit will want to know who is giving them the
information that they have received, and what, if any, their ulterior motives for giving this information is. It is always good to have a section of your website dedicated to telling the potential recruit about yourself, or your organization. A good example of this would be the American Center for Law and Justice web site http://www.aclj.org/ . As you enter the site, you see a navigational column on the left side of the page that makes it easy to obtain only the information you are looking for. This makes it easier for potential recruits to find information that will help them decide whether or not they wish to join such an organization.
In the navigational column, you will also find a link that is titled, "About us" (or something similiar). After clicking on this link http://www.aclj.org/about/welcome.asp , you are directed to a page that explains in detail who the ACLJ is, and what they believe and promote on their web site. This is professional, quick, and easy to understand.
While we are looking at the ACLJ web site, let's look at the top bar. What do you see in the center? That's right, a great big "Contact the ACLJ". However, when clicking on the ACLJ contact link, you are taken to a page that gives the impression that if you are not donating to their cause, they don't want to hear from you. This may or may not be the case, but the impression is there. How many of you would continue to make an inquiry from there?
I remember an incident recently where, as media, I visited a certain website. On this website, I found some information I thought my readers would enjoy. But, in order to post their material, one of the requirements is that we had to have an email address so that the readers could make inquiries to the author about any questions they had. I was unable to find the email address on the website, so I wrote to the webmaster and asked him if there was a specific email I should use to contact the organization. I received a reply that gave me the Post Office box to mail any inquiries to. This just simply would not do, and the post never got posted on my site.
When dealing with internet media, most of the time you are going to see a requirement that any person who submits any writing has to have a working email address. The scenario above is a good example of why.
When getting your message ready for promotion to a wider audience, you should always ask yourself: "If it were me looking at my message for the first time, how would I react?" Nine times out of ten, your impression will be your reader's impression, and you will need to work to correct any problematic scenarios that may confront you in the future.
In the next section, we will be talking about problems you will encounter publicing your email, and how to fix those problems before they become problems.
This is Part 3 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
In Part 2, we discussed the importance of making your message easy to understand for potential recruits. In this part, we are going to discuss how you can keep those potential recruits and make them solid recruits. The best way to keep potential recruits coming back is to not only give them something they can understand, and is simple to follow, but to also allow them to interract with you so that they feel comfortable following up on the simplistic information given them.
How many times have you been to a website and thought it was great, but you felt uncomfortable about disseminating that information to others because you had no way to answer questions by those you would send the message to? For instance, let's say you are new to 2nd Amendment studies. You have come accross a great website with lots of information about the Constitution and the 2nd Amendment. You are totally supportive of gun rights. And, in your excitement, you copy and paste the message on that page to a number of people in your address book.
In less than twenty-four hours you have received three emails asking you questions about whether or not the 2nd Amendment is reserved only for the military and police.
Uh Oh.
Being new to 2nd Amendment studies, you aren't sure how to answer that, and their questions have caused you to formate your own questions in your mind. So, naturally, you return to that website that gave you that information -- because if you don't come up with an answer, your credibility has been shot among those you sent that information to.
You search the website, and you see lots of great information, but no answer to your question. So, in desparation, you search for someone you can email with your questions.
There is no email address to be found.
The potential recruit in this scenario is likely to never return to the site, and never recommend the site to anyone else, ever again. Your attempt at trying to send the message to the American People just lost a viable recruiter, and countless recruits to your cause has been lost.
Most people, on the internet today, use their email religiously. It is so much simpler to click a button than to handwrite a request and spend 35 cents for a stamp. And then, who wants to wait two weeks for an answer to a simple question? So, it would stand to reason that if you are looking to promote a message, you need to provide a simple, easy way of communicating with your potential recruits, and you need to be sure you look forward to that communication as often as possible.
When someone writes you an email and you don't answer it until a week later, many times, by then, the potential recruit has forgotten all about it, and any chance of sowing the seed that you planted into his mind is already gone. That is why you should take the time to answer each and every email that comes your way. (There are some emails that are not worthy of being answered if you want to keep the momentum of your message going. We will discuss this later).
So, let's look at where we are now:
1. First you have to have a product, idea, thought or service. Without this step, none of the others matter.
2. Then you have to make that product, idea, thought or service available to
the public.
The message has to be easy to understand, and simple to follow. There has to be a simple way of communicating with any potential recruits who have questions about your message Many times, a potential recruit will want to know who is giving them the
information that they have received, and what, if any, their ulterior motives for giving this information is. It is always good to have a section of your website dedicated to telling the potential recruit about yourself, or your organization. A good example of this would be the American Center for Law and Justice web site http://www.aclj.org/ . As you enter the site, you see a navigational column on the left side of the page that makes it easy to obtain only the information you are looking for. This makes it easier for potential recruits to find information that will help them decide whether or not they wish to join such an organization.
In the navigational column, you will also find a link that is titled, "About us" (or something similiar). After clicking on this link http://www.aclj.org/about/welcome.asp , you are directed to a page that explains in detail who the ACLJ is, and what they believe and promote on their web site. This is professional, quick, and easy to understand.
While we are looking at the ACLJ web site, let's look at the top bar. What do you see in the center? That's right, a great big "Contact the ACLJ". However, when clicking on the ACLJ contact link, you are taken to a page that gives the impression that if you are not donating to their cause, they don't want to hear from you. This may or may not be the case, but the impression is there. How many of you would continue to make an inquiry from there?
I remember an incident recently where, as media, I visited a certain website. On this website, I found some information I thought my readers would enjoy. But, in order to post their material, one of the requirements is that we had to have an email address so that the readers could make inquiries to the author about any questions they had. I was unable to find the email address on the website, so I wrote to the webmaster and asked him if there was a specific email I should use to contact the organization. I received a reply that gave me the Post Office box to mail any inquiries to. This just simply would not do, and the post never got posted on my site.
When dealing with internet media, most of the time you are going to see a requirement that any person who submits any writing has to have a working email address. The scenario above is a good example of why.
When getting your message ready for promotion to a wider audience, you should always ask yourself: "If it were me looking at my message for the first time, how would I react?" Nine times out of ten, your impression will be your reader's impression, and you will need to work to correct any problematic scenarios that may confront you in the future.
In the next section, we will be talking about problems you will encounter publicing your email, and how to fix those problems before they become problems.
This is Part 3 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
Building Your "Pitch"
Part 2: Building Your "Pitch"
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
The first thing that any potential customer, buyer, or listener (which we will call "recruit" for the sake of the discussion) will look at is the quality of the message. So, when you start thinking of promoting your product, idea, thought or service (message), you have to think about how attractive that message is to the general public. In Part 1, we discussed the essential foundation of promoting: that is, having a message to promote to begin with. In this part, we are going to discuss how to tweak that message so that when you start using your promotional skills, you get to keep the benefits that go along with it: solid recruits.
What is the first thing you look for when you go to an advertiser's site?
Information.
That's right: information. Whether it be information about the product or information about the producer, either way, you are looking for information. So, naturally, before that advertiser ever sent out that advertisement, he had to make sure that the information was there for you to follow through with if he hoped to make a sale.
This means, in plain english, if you have a message to give out to the American People that you want them to follow through with, you have to tell them what the message is in simple terms. And then, if you want the American People to do something with that message, you have to explain it to them so that it is easy for them to understand and follow through with.
After all, what happens when you get to that advertiser's site and the product is not there? Suppose you see a picture of the product, but no information about how to purchase it? Would you buy it upon looking at first glance? In your busy day, would you look around the website for a few minutes to try to figure out how to purchase it? Would you find an email address and write to the advertiser and ask? Most people would not. Most potential customers would simply go to the next site or the next email if what they see from a first impression is not what they expect.
Suppose that the message WAS there? Suppose you saw the product, and you read about how great that product was and what it could do. Then, suppose you were really hyped up about that product, but could find no information about what to do in order to get that product for yourself. The advertiser just lost a sale. In about three or four weeks, you will go to your local shopping center and then you may see that product. Chances are, you will buy that product from them. But, the advertiser who sold the product to you will get nothing to support the advertising dollars that they spent telling you about the product.
If you own your own web site, and you spend quite a bit of time maintaining the information on that website, then you understand the frustration that comes with telling someone about a great book and having them buy it from another bookstore rather than you, so you can support your work. That's why making sure you give your potential recruits the information they need is important. Most people, by nature, want to support something they believe in. If you don't offer them a way to do that, they won't.
So the best way to get your message out is not only to have a message, but to be able to present that message in as simple of terms as possible, so that the potential recruits have only minimal work to do for themselves in order to follow through.
Let's take a look at where we are now:
1. First you have to have a product, idea, thought or service.
Without this step, none of the others matter.
2. Then you have to make that product, idea, thought or service available to the public.
The message has to be easy to understand, and simple to follow.
I can't recall how many times I've visited a website that had lots of information on it that didn't make sense. The cause was just, I'm sure, but the presentation of the information was so hard to follow that I would skip the whole message and go on to the next web site.
How many of you have ever read the Bible all the way through? If you weren't a literary person who enjoyed Shakespeare or any of the other classic literature, then you probably are thinking, "Not me, all those thees and thous and whatsoevers get me confused." In the Patriot Community, there are a lot of great web sites out there who are very information-oriented, but forget that most people do not speak legal talk.
When I was a child, my mother worked full time. So, to help ease her burden, she decided to let me do the cooking so when she came home, dinner was already done and ready to eat. She would set out a peace of paper with instructions for me to follow each day when I came home from school. It would look something like this:
Shonda,
Please make sure you put a load of clothes in the washer. There are some clothes on the bed that need to be folded. When you are done with that, clean that mess off the coffee table. Then you can start cooking at 5pm.
Here is what we are having for dinner tonight: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes.
To fix the meatloaf, first you will need to get all your ingredients together.
====
(I'm going to skip this part because I think you got the idea)
One of the ingredients happened to be diced onions. Keep in mind, for a nine year old who had a limited vocabulary but a high IQ, which my mom knew I had because of previous testing at school and arguments with school administrators who wanted to skip me up a grade or two, I had no idea what "diced" meant. I sat there dumb-founded for the longest time, trying to figure out what "diced" meant. Finally, I knew it was going to get me in trouble, but I figured I'd be in more trouble if I didn't get dinner fixed, I called my mom at work.
Of course, she answered with: "YOU CALLED ME AT WORK JUST TO ASK ME WHAT DICED MEANT?" and then told me to look it up in the dictionary. DOH!
But the point is, had I not had my backside to worry about, I probably would have never had supper done that night. Most of your readers don't have backsides to worry about, (some of them simply are...but we won't go into that here...) and if you don't tell them in simple terms the first time, they'll probably just go somewhere else.
This is Part 2 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
by Shonda Ponder
© 2002, Shonda Ponder
The first thing that any potential customer, buyer, or listener (which we will call "recruit" for the sake of the discussion) will look at is the quality of the message. So, when you start thinking of promoting your product, idea, thought or service (message), you have to think about how attractive that message is to the general public. In Part 1, we discussed the essential foundation of promoting: that is, having a message to promote to begin with. In this part, we are going to discuss how to tweak that message so that when you start using your promotional skills, you get to keep the benefits that go along with it: solid recruits.
What is the first thing you look for when you go to an advertiser's site?
Information.
That's right: information. Whether it be information about the product or information about the producer, either way, you are looking for information. So, naturally, before that advertiser ever sent out that advertisement, he had to make sure that the information was there for you to follow through with if he hoped to make a sale.
This means, in plain english, if you have a message to give out to the American People that you want them to follow through with, you have to tell them what the message is in simple terms. And then, if you want the American People to do something with that message, you have to explain it to them so that it is easy for them to understand and follow through with.
After all, what happens when you get to that advertiser's site and the product is not there? Suppose you see a picture of the product, but no information about how to purchase it? Would you buy it upon looking at first glance? In your busy day, would you look around the website for a few minutes to try to figure out how to purchase it? Would you find an email address and write to the advertiser and ask? Most people would not. Most potential customers would simply go to the next site or the next email if what they see from a first impression is not what they expect.
Suppose that the message WAS there? Suppose you saw the product, and you read about how great that product was and what it could do. Then, suppose you were really hyped up about that product, but could find no information about what to do in order to get that product for yourself. The advertiser just lost a sale. In about three or four weeks, you will go to your local shopping center and then you may see that product. Chances are, you will buy that product from them. But, the advertiser who sold the product to you will get nothing to support the advertising dollars that they spent telling you about the product.
If you own your own web site, and you spend quite a bit of time maintaining the information on that website, then you understand the frustration that comes with telling someone about a great book and having them buy it from another bookstore rather than you, so you can support your work. That's why making sure you give your potential recruits the information they need is important. Most people, by nature, want to support something they believe in. If you don't offer them a way to do that, they won't.
So the best way to get your message out is not only to have a message, but to be able to present that message in as simple of terms as possible, so that the potential recruits have only minimal work to do for themselves in order to follow through.
Let's take a look at where we are now:
1. First you have to have a product, idea, thought or service.
Without this step, none of the others matter.
2. Then you have to make that product, idea, thought or service available to the public.
The message has to be easy to understand, and simple to follow.
I can't recall how many times I've visited a website that had lots of information on it that didn't make sense. The cause was just, I'm sure, but the presentation of the information was so hard to follow that I would skip the whole message and go on to the next web site.
How many of you have ever read the Bible all the way through? If you weren't a literary person who enjoyed Shakespeare or any of the other classic literature, then you probably are thinking, "Not me, all those thees and thous and whatsoevers get me confused." In the Patriot Community, there are a lot of great web sites out there who are very information-oriented, but forget that most people do not speak legal talk.
When I was a child, my mother worked full time. So, to help ease her burden, she decided to let me do the cooking so when she came home, dinner was already done and ready to eat. She would set out a peace of paper with instructions for me to follow each day when I came home from school. It would look something like this:
Shonda,
Please make sure you put a load of clothes in the washer. There are some clothes on the bed that need to be folded. When you are done with that, clean that mess off the coffee table. Then you can start cooking at 5pm.
Here is what we are having for dinner tonight: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes.
To fix the meatloaf, first you will need to get all your ingredients together.
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(I'm going to skip this part because I think you got the idea)
One of the ingredients happened to be diced onions. Keep in mind, for a nine year old who had a limited vocabulary but a high IQ, which my mom knew I had because of previous testing at school and arguments with school administrators who wanted to skip me up a grade or two, I had no idea what "diced" meant. I sat there dumb-founded for the longest time, trying to figure out what "diced" meant. Finally, I knew it was going to get me in trouble, but I figured I'd be in more trouble if I didn't get dinner fixed, I called my mom at work.
Of course, she answered with: "YOU CALLED ME AT WORK JUST TO ASK ME WHAT DICED MEANT?" and then told me to look it up in the dictionary. DOH!
But the point is, had I not had my backside to worry about, I probably would have never had supper done that night. Most of your readers don't have backsides to worry about, (some of them simply are...but we won't go into that here...) and if you don't tell them in simple terms the first time, they'll probably just go somewhere else.
This is Part 2 of "Promotional Skills for the Chronically Amateur"
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