- When someone says: what are you writing? It sounds in my ears like they’re saying: I’m going to set fire to your hair. Or I’m going to kill your children. And I don’t even have any children. It’s like asking a man: are you still beating your wife? He is condemned by the question before he has a chance to answer.
Asking a writer what are you writing is like asking a philosopher what are you thinking? Or a firefighter what fires have you been fighting? But, then, you wouldn’t ask a firefighter that. You’d ask: put out any interesting fires lately? To which he replies: Yes, I just carried a little girl and her puppy out of a blazing apartment building. That’s heroic. That’s awesome. You ask the writer: what are you writing, and its like asking a fish in which direction he’s swimming?Writers don’t immediately know what they are writing. The meaning evolves in the writing. They sense more than see that there’s a crack in the universe and feel a need to fill the vacuum. Rightly or naively, writers see themselves as society’s conscience; a safety valve.From this perspective, all writing is political: a mother murdering a child abuser; a mean boss sacking a pregnant employee; a group of wheelchair vets occupying a recruitment office. The drama will be layered in social comment. We laugh our heads off at the antics of Peter Griffin in Family Guy, but underpinning the humour is an intricate substructure of ideas, opinions: of politics.
Newspapers and broadcasters dip their bowls in the great soup of concepts writers put into the public arena through surveys, reviews, blogs, tweets, Facebook posts. Writers are worker ants, always labouring, often without pay, for the good of the nest: the planet we all share.
From now on, when friends ask: what are you writing, I’ll tell them I’m creating a story about how the people woke up one morning and discovered when they came together to save the last of the orang-utans, the last Indian tigers, they lost their feelings of apathy and boredom. They looked into each others eyes and began to see a way to bring about a fairer, better, more equitable future for the entire planet. First published at www.blogcritics.orgAuthor : Chloe Thurlow is a best-selling English novelist and syndicated blogger. Visit www.chloethurlow.com
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Guest Posts
I am Introducing this section so that Blogger Interviews can feature the people we interview so that we can easily view what they are upto ;) , Watch this space for more as we get authors and writers from around the globe to write just for you .
Sunday, 25 May 2014
Interview with ILA ,Blogger,Activist and Mommy Blogger
1. Can you tell us a
little about yourself, your blog(s)/website(s), and your aspirations and your
hobbies!!
About Me: My name
is Ila. I’m a stay-at-home Mom
to two little boys. I am building faith for
myself and in our family. Faith and Family are my top priorities. I’m also a
very dedicated activist for Multiple Sclerosis awareness and Autism Awareness.
You can Meet Our Family
on my blog. I’m also a guest blogger for YourLDSBlog.com
 |
| ILA |
Blog: I’m a
lifestyle blogger at He Has MS. Faith, Wellness, and Activism… That sums up
my blog. I write about Christian
& Inspirational topics, Health
related topics, Family life, Special Education, Multiple Sclerosis, Autism,
and Fundraising. My primary goal when
writing is to help others live a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life. For me,
blogging is personal and a nice therapeutic outlet.
Aspirations: To
help others and to inspire them.
Hobbies: Blogging and Activism are my main hobbies. I also
like to work-out, read, paint, do crafts, work on home improvement projects,
organization projects, and work with my children on goals I have for them. My
children are young, so I non-officially
homeschool them. My 3 year old is only a part-time ‘homeschooler’. I think as
far as hobbies go, I am just the stereotypical “Mommy Blogger”. My life
revolves around my faith, my family, our home, and my activism projects.
2. How you first got
involved in with blogging/writing, are you an imaginative person?
I have always been a writer, just not writing for the public
to see. As I was growing up, I would write in personal journals and write
poetry. I am very creative and have an imagination.
I officially started writing on my blog because our family
was going through a traumatic life change after Multiple Sclerosis became a
part of it. You can read about that original diagnosis on my blog page titled,
“His MS Story”. Because
our lives were so different, I wanted to inspire, encourage, and help others
who may be facing some of the same challenges.
I decided to create my blog after searching and searching
for answers about Multiple Sclerosis, but never finding an answer. I write to
answer those questions, from a personal perspective. I write to raise awareness
about Multiple Sclerosis and Autism.
3. What do you find
most challenging about blogging/writing about your topic?
I don’t find it challenging at all. I blog because it is
therapeutic and I like it. I write from my heart, so there is always
inspiration.
4. Tell me about some
of the people you have met while working on your blog?
I haven’t actually
met anyone. I have met a lot of people online that are amazing and
inspirational. All of my twitter followers are amazing people and many of them
are changing the world.
5. How would
(someone) describe your blogging/writing style?
I recently had a dedicated reader tell me that I write as if
I am speaking directly to her. That is how I write, like I’m talking to a
friend. My readers are supportive and encouraging. To me, my readers are my friends. I write from a personal perspective and
always include how it applies to my life.
6. What do you do
when you are not working on your blog?
When I’m not blogging, I’m usually busy with the tasks of
being a mother. My 2 boys keep me busy! I
take my 3 year old to his therapy appointments, we do ‘unofficial’
homeschooling activities, I clean, cook, etc. The work of a Mom never ends…
7 .Where do you see
yourself blogging/writing wise in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the road?
You know what… this is a tough question.
When I first started blogging, I didn’t think anyone would
read it. Now, every time I look at my blog stats… I am so surprised. I almost
had a heart attack when I got a google page rank 2.
The only thing I can say for sure about the next 6 months or
even 5 years… I’ll still be writing because it is my hobby. Writing on my blog
is very therapeutic and I know that I’m sharing information that can help
another person living with the same challenges as our family. My blog
readership will probably grow, just as it has been growing. If it doesn’t, I’m
okay with that. I blog because I like to, not because I have to…
8. What networking do
you do that you feel helps your blogging/writing business?
To be honest, the only thing I do is use Pinterest,
Facebook, and Twitter. I don’t even put a lot of effort into social media. I
don’t even promote my blog!
9. How do you keep
coming up with material/content for your blog? Many people struggle with coming
up with different articles/posts and they only have one blog.
I’m a lifestyle blogger. The inspiration for content is
always there. My blog posts are about topics very close to my heart.
Occasionally, I will publish guest posts to add different perspectives on my
blog.
10. Whats your
strategy with your blog in general?
Strategy? Hmm… I have a blog
mission statement. It helps me keep my posts from being so random. Still, I
do post randomly. Again, this is because I’m blogging about my life and that is
constantly changing.
11. Any specific tips
you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?
- Choose a topic that you enjoy and will continue to inspire
you
- Your blog should contain quality posts. It isn’t about the
quantity of posts, but the quality of
each post. Your readers won’t keep reading if you publish posts that aren’t
high quality. It’s better to post a few quality posts a month than to post poor
quality posts daily.
-Spell-check! Aim to have your blog posts free of
grammar/spelling errors.
-Unless profanity enhances your niche, try to use something
else. Many advertisers won’t use you if your site is full of profanity and
negativity towards brands.
-Format your blog posts using Heading and Sub-Headings. If
you are writing large posts, breaking up the writing is easier to read. Consider
using bullet points to highlight ideas. Also, instead of doing a massive post,
consider breaking the post up into a series.
-Establish relationships with your readers. Ask them
questions, talk to them, visit their pages, etc. Readers will come back if they
have an established connection with you.
12. What would you
prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?
Personally, I prioritize my content.
Truth is… I still have a lot to learn about SEO! Traffic and
readers will come along if you have quality content. Like I said earlier, I
didn’t think anyone would read my blog when I first started out… Now, I have an online presence with
others like myself, in all areas in my life. That only happened because of the
content on my blog.
13. Whats the best
thing a blogger can give to his readers?
A unique perspective. There are so many blogs out there, why
should they read yours? You have to be able to offer them something, even if it
is just advice or something they can relate to. It establishes a relationship
with your readers, so they will want to come back.
14. A lot of people
are interested in blogging/writing for the money earning potential. What are
some tips for people interesting in making money from blogging/writing? What
are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?
I blog as a hobby, so I have never tried to earn money from
blogging. I do know that you will only get paid from putting in the effort to
do so. Make sure advertisers know you are willing to sell them ad-space,
provide paid-posts via sponsors, etc. Affiliate marketing is also really popular,
especially through Amazon associates. Most people can make money through that
avenue. I rarely post up affiliate links on my site. I just haven’t wanted to.
Pay-per-click seems to be a popular choice for making money through blogging
too, for example: Google AdSense.
I appreciate the sponsorship opportunities that I have had
reviewing products and hosting giveaways. In a sense, that is earning money
through product. The value is the same. I could sell the products that I
review, but I don’t.
15. What motivates
you most in life?
My children. They motivate me to be a better person in all aspects
of my life.
16. What has been
your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your blog?
This is another area where quality content is so important. I
write and they come. It’s as simple as that. I do visit other blogs and comment,
but essentially… I only share my posts via my social networks. That’s it
really.
Even now, after blogging for a few years…some of my family
doesn’t even know I have a blog and the ones who do, rarely read it. It’s all
about content! My readers are people who like my content on my website, they
can relate to it, and they are inspired by it in some way.
For anyone who has the willingness to promote their own
writing, there are a lot of different ways to do it. First of all, you can tell
people about it. Lol I blogged a whole year before a single person in my ‘real’
world even knew. Second, you can promote online and off-line.
Online, visit other blogs- leave a comment and let them know
you’d love their input on your blog/blog post.
You can enter into blog-hops and linky-parties. Join communities and
forums relevant to your blog and establish relationships on there. You can
place free ads on various websites or you can pay for ad-space on another blog.
You can sponsor giveaways on other blogs; as well as self-pay for a giveaway on
your own blog.
Off-line advertising: Good old fashioned flyers! Leave them
everywhere, and tell all of the people you know that you have a blog. When
someone asks what you do for a living, say ‘I’m a writer at ___ website and I
write about ______.” You can submit articles and press releases in newspapers,
magazines, etc. There are a lot of ways to do it… you just have to be willing
to work hard.
17 What was the most
challenging moment in your blog content development process and why?
The most challenging moments for me is always the ‘finding
time’ phase. I’m a busy mom! Developing content, editing pictures, research,
etc. All of that takes up time. For me, I usually blog late at night on very
little sleep. I always have to go back and review posts for errors. Sleep
deprivation = errors!
18. Everyone has a
favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why?
My favorite post- “Huge
List of Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms”. It’s my favorite because it is very
informative and a lot of my readers have benefited from the list. Also, I
really love all of my Bible Study
posts. They are all very special to me as I am trying to build my faith.
My least favorite post is “Dear Angry
Reader….” I don’t like that post because I was angry/sad that I even had to write it. Other than that, if I don’t like a post later
on… I just edit or delete!
19. Name some of the
bloggers whom you look up to and why?
DeeAnn from Snippets
N’ Stuff: She’s another lifestyle blogger that has been through much of the
same things as I have. She’s a mom with a child with disabilities and she is a
MS caregiver. I can relate to her and she always has great tips that I find
helpful.
Laura from Laugh
N’ Learn: She’s a mom and she homeschools her daughter, who is around the
same age as my boys. I appreciate her posts and they inspire ideas that I use
for teaching my own children. A lot of her content is useful for helping a
speech-delayed child, like my child.
Abiola from The
Ramblings of A Nigerian Workahomom: She is a mom and I like seeing how a
mother in another country does the ‘motherhood thing’. For instance, I didn’t
know that in Nigeria, maternity leave is for three months. She offers diverse
content and poetry that I like, plus a multi-cultural experience.
Jodi from The Noise of
Boys: She’s a mom of two boys, one with food allergies and one with sleep
issues. I can relate to her writing, as each of my sons have a similar dilemma.
She offers cool giveaways and reviews on products that I’d consider buying. I
value her opinion.
20. What is the story
behind the name of the blog?
The love of my life was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis…
So, he has MS. The whole reason I started the blog was because of this, so the
name “He Has MS” seemed appropriate. That’s all there is to the name. It’s
simple and memorable.
21. Your connection
with any Blogger Network like Indi blogger or Writeupcafe or any other and the
experience?
I’ve never heard of them! I’m a member of
BloggyMoms… I’m a member of some review websites, if those count.
22. Which genre do
you feel gets the raw deal?
Being open-minded, I can appreciate something from every
genre. This is true for everything: Book genres, art genres, music genres. I
like a little bit of everything.
23. Which one plug-in
would you suggest all bloggers to have?
I like to keep things simple, but if I had to choose… Have
something that connects you to your social media sites. If you have an online
shop, have a plug-in showcasing those items on your site.
24. Five adjectives
that describe you.
Dedicated. Intelligent. Creative. Busy. Exhausted.
25. What book would
you say has made the biggest impact good or bad on you?
The Authorized King
James Bible. For one, it is how I grow faith. It is my ‘go to’ source for
answers. Plus, I like the literature language used in it. I appreciate the
poetic nature it.
26. Do you get easily
provoked by positive/negative comments??
Being a blogger, the negative comments do come along. Most
of the time, I can ignore them… Sometimes, I can’t. See my ‘least favorite post
above’ as an example. The positive comments are the only ones I will publish on
my site. I want my blog to be friendly and encouraging.
27. Do you plan to
write a book, as every bloggers dream it is?
I have never dreamed
of writing a book. I don’t think I ever will…
28. Are you a
judgmental person, do you prefer to take sides instead of standing neutral?
It depends on the topic. I’m judgmental and will take sides
when it comes to Autism Advocacy, Special needs children, bullying, Multiple
Sclerosis Advocacy, Child Abuse, and Breastfeeding as a right. Other than those
topics, I stand neutral in most areas. I am only judgmental when it comes to
doing the right thing and someone is mistreating someone else.
29. Your
collaboration with other bloggers, are you much into social networking, tell us
everything about it?
I comment on their blogs. I use social media to network too,
but I’m not very big on it. I utilize hootsuite.com for most of my social media
maintenance actually. That’s all there
is to say.
30. What genre
attracts you the most and which genre you avoid?
Classical Literature. I don’t avoid anything….
31. Your Views on
Contests and increasing plagiarism?
Contests, hmm…. Nothing to say. Increasing plagiarism, for
that I say: Be creative. Find your own voice. If you need to use content from
someone else… Ask for permission to use their content and always credit your
sources.
32. Words for me and
my blogs Desire v/s Destiny and Blogger Interviews and my Website www.MyMagicJobs.com
I think you’re doing a good job. I
like the layout of the webpages and like that you use a lot of white spacing
throughout. I like that you make posts easy to read and that you utilize bullet
points.
33. On winning the
Award/s , Are they Really necessary.
Perhaps they are to some…but not to me. I haven’t won
anything and I don’t care.
34. So what’s Next in
your list?
I have some blog topics, giveaways, and reviews that are on
my ‘Blog To-Do List”. Just the same old, same old. I will continue
to live life and blog about it.
35. Words for your
readers and why they should follow you?
Following me is just a way for us to be friends. I share
things related to Christianity, Education, Awareness for Autism and Multiple
Sclerosis, as well as healthy living links of interest. Following me will also
ensure that you never miss a post on my blog He
Has MS.
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Interview with Bruce Davis Of "The Love Letters"
1.Why did you write The Love Letters?
After visiting Assisi, Italy for many years and living there
for twelve years, the lives of St. Francis & St. Clare of Assisi are very
dear to us. So when Pope Francis was
elected and for the first time in history a Pope took the name Francis, we
became v
2.Who was St. Francis besides being a lover of nature, all
creatures, and the poor?
St. Francis had a fascinating life. In the beginning he was a troubadour much
like any teenager interested in music, girls, having fun. After being caught and imprisoned the first
day in a crusade against neighboring town of Perugia, Francis began the ask the
meaning of life. He was in a small
prison cell for a year. Afterwards he
was ill and resistant to going into his father's clothing business. He wanted a life that had heart, a life that
was true. He wandered outside the walls
of medieval Assisi to nearby mountain tops and a church in ruins. In the
simplicity of his days, abundant nature, and his opening heart, he found a
peace that was greater than any peace.
God spoke to him in words and in the beauty of nature and life all
around him. The harmony and stillness
around Francis touched a place inside of him of perfect harmony and peace. His heart began opening and continued opening
as he found a great source of inner love, generosity, compassion, and joy. St. Francis is one of the world's greatest
mystics as pilgrims of all religions have found as they follow in his
footsteps.
3.If Pope Francis was to continue
following in the footsteps of St. Francis how would the Church change? What
would it look like?
One person, even a Pope, cannot change an entire
Church. But Pope Francis has started by
giving himself to the people and showing people that a true leader is here to
serve other than being served. This is
the central message of St. Francis of Assisi and the growing message of Pope
Francis. The Church has become too
isolated from the needs and hearts of normal people. Francis is calling everyone to open their
minds to find God and to look into their hearts for spiritual meaning.
Humility, compassion, and simplicity were the cornerstones of the little church
of St. Francis of Assisi. So, we can
only imagine if priests and bishops, brothers and sisters throughout the Church
today find similar cornerstones for their lives. We all can only Imagine Catholics and people of all religions
adopting the prayer of St. Francis to become instruments of peace and healing.
I like to imagine a great outpouring of heart to the misunderstood, the ill,
the poor in our neighborhoods and cities0
This would be St. Francis in our world today.
4.
If individual Catholics, people of all religions, or no religion were to invite
the heart of St. Francis into their lives what would they experience, what
would they feel?
St. Francis spent much of his short life on mountaintops in
the silence and beauty of nature.
There he asked to be left alone and undisturbed. As his mind
was not so busy with thoughts of this world, he found a well of peace and joy
in his heart. In the small grottos he
lived he, we would curl up and be In the grotto of his heart. There he found simple peace. The deeper he went inside into the silence he
found much light and an indescribable joy.
This light and joy grew as he came down from the mountaintops and began
serving the lepers and poor people needing love and food. Everyone who takes time to listen to the
silence of their heart and practices service to others is walking in the
footsteps of St. Francis. This is the
path of many simple joys, what Francis called the path of perfect joy!
5.
How did you come to become so knowledgeable and intimate with the inner life of
these two saints?
Beginning in 1983 I began leading groups from many parts of
Europe and America to Assisi.
We meditated in the places of St. Francis and St. Clare and
would practice their prayers. Both
Francis and Clare would offer everything in their hearts. After doing this for some days, people
naturally find a silence, a peace inside.
In the inner stillness many of the people in these retreats began having
experiences described by Francis and Clare in their writings.
In 1999 we moved full time to Assisi. For the following twelve years we were more
or less in retreat full time. It was a
wonderful period to have so many days and nights, months and years living and
being in the peace of Assisi. During
this time we traveled to many parts of Italy where St. Francis discovered more
of his soul and the spiritual journey.
6.
What attracted you to them?
Like many people, I found religion to be more form then
substance, more about rules then about opening the heart and finding a real
spiritual path. Trained as a
psychologist, I soon realized we are more then our thoughts and feelings. There is something more to each of us.
People are not happy unless they have a sincere spiritual
life. St. Francis of Assisi had such a
life. It doesn’t matter what we call it but a life without spirituality is
superficial and empty. A life without
compassion and service is not fulfilling.
When I discovered St. Francis, I found someone who was all the substance
I looked for. In his humanness, he found
God. This is what I believed. As we make peace with all our humanness there
is something more inside each of us. As
our mind quiets down, we find a profound stillness in our hearts. In the many
monasteries, mountaintops, and gardens where St. Francis lived, you can feel
this peace.
It is not a matter of belief or imagination, in the
footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi the presence of something greater is very
present.
7.
Do you think that Pope Francis can bring back the values these two espoused in
their teachings?
Every time Pope Francis enters the square of St. Peters and
gets off his Pope Mobile and mingles with the people, he is expressing the
spirit of St. Francis. Every time he
touches the sick and asks us to feed the hungry, St. Francis is present. Most
of all, it is in the Pope’s humility as he washes the feet of prisoners or the
handicapped he is showing everyone that spirituality is in giving up our self
importance and give to one another. As Pope Francis continues this path,
hopefully more and more priests and people everywhere will understand
that what is important is not to be understood but that we
understand. What is important is not so
much if we feel loved but that we love.
These values turn us as individuals into new people. These same simple actions can be an example
for the Church and everyone who is looking for more meaning and a deeper
relationship with life and God.
8.
How did you so charmingly capture the voices of Saint Francis and Saint Clare?
After living in Assisi, Italy so long, visiting daily the
places where Francis and Clare lived, their presence is so alive, you cannot
help but begin to feel how they felt.
You cannot help but hear the words that must have been in their heart.
Reading the stories, sitting in the gardens, walking the many trails into the
woods, Francis and Clare become very human.
Their hearts are the hearts of everyone in our fears and
desires. Francis and Clare expressed the
dreams and hopes we all have but don’t have an opportunity to really feel and
express. We feel very blessed that we
could spend so many years living in Italy, having coffee in its squares, wine
with the meals, and living with the language and culture which is so much about
life, having great heart, and simple joy.
9.
This great love found by St. Francis and St. Clare, is it available to people
today?
We don’t have to travel to Italy to find the love of Francis
and Clare, although it definitely helps!
The secret to their spirituality was their path. Today there is a saying we need to unplug,
disconnect. This is what Francis and
Clare did. They dropped out and found a
great peace living in the beauty of nature and their hearts. God is not in the rules and ceremony of
religion but in our willingness to be open minded and available for love.
Francis and Clare were known for their great nakedness, poverty. This nakedness and poverty is in letting go
of our self importance, finding compassion for those we judge, and sitting in
the emptiness of our heart and finding a great presence.
10.
Who should read this book? And why do you think it is important for people to
read it?
The Love Letters was written for lovers! We are all lovers enjoying and suffering the
same disappointments, dreams, and desires for complete union. St. Francis and St. Clare are two of the
world’s most famous lovers although there is no evidence they actually had a
physical relationship. They traveled deeply
in the heart. In this journey they found
the challenges and obstacles that all lovers find. Loneliness and complete union, fear and utter
bliss…the path of lovers, mystics of all religions is very much the same. This book hopes to support the lover, the inner
mystic in each of us . The book hopes to
be a support for everyone who travels the inner path including the simple joys
and mystery how our small hearts can feel so human and so Divine.
11.
Tell us about living in Assisi?
Assisi, Italy is like many of the small hilltop towns in
Tuscany and Umbria in the heart of Italy.
What makes Assisi different is St. Francis and St.
Clare. There are so many small chapels
and back streets where you are transported into another realm. There is really no other way to describe it.
We have seen very ordinary tourists walking through Assisi who just begin
crying. They don’t know why. Between their tears they say there is just so
much peace here..
Celebrating Easter and Christmas are especially special In
Assisi. To see the processions during
Easter Week, to hear all the bells, and feel the energy, the days of Easter are
very much alive. Most people don’t know
St. Francis started the idea of a nativity scene some 800 years ago. Every Christmas there are nativity scenes everywhere,
all around the town. Christmas in Assisi
is the real Christmas without all the shopping, rush, and hurry. Assisi is the town of lots and lots of grace.
12.
How do you and your wife Ruth live these values yourself?
Ruth and I now live in the hills near Napa, California. We
live and run a retreat center called silent stay. Most of our days are spent in silence. Each day with our guests we have an hour of
meditation in the morning, meditative movement, and another half hour of meditation
in the evening. There are hundreds of beautiful acres around us. We feel very fortunate supporting others to
disconnect from their busy lives and feel the silence. The peace and quiet of where we are living
touches deeply our own inner peace and quiet.
I am writing books and columns for the Huffington Post. But most of all, I enjoy a simple life of
being a contemplative.
13.
Has your retreat center, Silent Stay, brought these values to others? Tell us
about it.
Many of our guests have never made a retreat before. This is fun!
At first all the quiet is a bit unsettling. We tell them it is not
really about not talking but enjoying peace and quiet. Their stay is several days of soaking in
peace and quiet. The guests quickly get
it and just enjoy. We offer lots of free
time for them to wander, journal, take a nap, make cookies, to be free. For us, each retreat is all about the
heart. So our guests are encourage to
nurture themselves. We give a simple and
clear meditation to practice while they are with us. Everyone is offering everything they find in
their heart. Then each of us are going inside and receiving the gentleness,
peace, our own experience of heart essence which is God inside of us.
14.
You are one of the world’s leading experts on silence for spiritual connection
and simple peace. How can someone embrace silence with our very busy lives
today?
Making friends with silence is not difficult. We just have to take the step and enjoy
it. The most difficult part of making a
retreat for many people is actually getting to the retreat. Once
they are here, enjoying peace and quiet is easy! People take time off
and often suffer the stress and noise of making a vacation. A silent retreat is a vacation for the heart,
simple joys, peace, and quiet. Our
nerves feel much better afterwards.
Taking the steps to get away has many rewards but most of all it is
taking a step for ourselves. Underneath our busy mind is a whole realm of heart
for us to discover.
15.
Tell us about your other books and how they can help people return to this
place of simple peace.
My first book was actually the first book about the inner
child. It is called The Magical Child Within You.
This book was a best seller all about not being so serious and
remembering our inner child. Everything
we do to touch our heart and the hearts of others is part of this path of remembering
our inner child. My next book was called
Monastery Without Walls. It is all about supporting the inner mystic
within us. We don’t have to join a
monastery but we do need to create our own monastery only without walls. There
are several books I wrote but one of my favorites is Simple Peace about the inner life of St. Francis of Assisi. Another book which is about the magical child
thirty years later called The Calling of
Joy. It is all about listening to
and following our joy as a path to our heart and simple peace.
16.
Do believe that The Love Letters will inspire people to see their own path to
the peace and joyfulness expressed by Saint Francis and Saint Clare?
The book business has changed much in recent years. It is very difficult to get a book known
since so many bookstores, especially the small ones have closed. So it is mainly word of mouth that we hope
people will share The Love Letters. Life
is too good to not really enjoy.. We
hope readers will find the love letters as a friend telling them not to hurry,
slow down and smell the beauty. Sit in
the simple peace and practice service in some part of our lives.
17.
Are you sending a copy of your book the Pope? What do you hope he will say?
The Pope is a very busy guy.
We don’t know if he would receive a book with all the mail he
receives. We just want to support his
big heart, his humility, and all he is doing to remind the world to judge less
and love more. Who would have ever thought, the Church with all its problems
would get a Pope like Pope Francis? Who
would ever have thought that St. Francis, his life and prayer would come so
front and center and challenge the world?
18.
What thoughts would you like readers to take away from The Love Letters?
We hope that readers of The Love Letters will walk away
feeling they are not alone on this inner way, this path of heart. People write us and tell us they are reading
the letters a day at a time for a daily meditation. We hope the great love of St. Francis and St.
Clare will inspire us all to spend more time in the silence of our heart, to
hug more, and have fun. Life is precious.
We pray for the day when all churches open their doors to everyone and
embrace the heart in each of us. May The Love Letters spread until we are all
writing our own love letters to God, one another, to especially those who are
challenged in difficult and challenging times.
19.
Your book is really about the inner steps of mystics of all religions. Tell us
about these steps?
The first Christians went out into the desert to find
Christ. We each are called to disconnect
and spend sometime in the desert. What
we will find is that the emptiness we fear is actually a vastness, a big space
which includes the presence of God. As we take the time to explore this
presence in our hearts we discover it grows and grows reaching without end for
the planets and stars. This is the
mystic’s way for pilgrims in all religions.
There is so much for us to explore in the caves and gardens, rivers and
ocean of our hearts. It all begins by taking sometime for retreat and receiving
deeply the heart essence underneath our normally busy mind.
20.
How can someone find this inner peace in our busy world and hectic schedules
today?
Practicing not being in a hurry is a spiritual
practice. Finding simple joys is a
spiritual path.
Finding some compassion for difficult people, some
generosity when we feel little all are things we can do in our normal busy
lives. Feeding our hearts and the hearts
of others is not in the big things we do but in the small moments of being
present, available, receiving and offering ourselves. Meditation, even if it is just for a few
minutes upon rising or going to sleep is a big gift for our soul. A few minutes of a quiet mind supports something
deeper within us. A few minutes of
conscious outer stillness can touch the inner quiet which is in each of us. It is all a matter of priorities,
intention. If our intention is for more
inner peace we will discover it in the elevator, car, and in the midst of the
noisy parts of life. Inner peace is our
true nature.
21.
Is there an inner mystic in everyone or is the calling just for a few?
If we follow only the news we would think the spiritual path
is for only a very few. The problem is
that everyone who is following their inner mystic, the simple steps of the
heart, we do not make the news. There
are so many truly mystical people in all parts of the world quietly leading
their heart full lives. We must be
walking slow enough, open enough, present enough to notice. As we slow down, we will see hearts smiling
in all kinds of people, lots of people everywhere.
22.
Do you think Pope Francis will succeed? Can he really heal a problem Church?
In many ways Pope Francis has already succeeded. The Church is changed. In Pope Francis way of being, his wanting to
serve instead of being served the Church is changed. Maybe he won’t be able to make all the
changes necessary. But in showing his
heart, his humility, and desire to touch the poor, the Spirit of St. Francis is
very much alive and will continue growing.
23.
What is your vision of the Church were it to be truly well, serving, and
lifting hearts?
My vision for a true Church will be a time when people are
taught to find their inner Church, their inner temple and cathedral of
God. Finding God in our lives is not
complicated. In simplicity of time in
silence of the heart, beauty of nature and one another, and giving to those
most in need, God is very present. I
pray for the day when religion is less about talking and judging and more about
hugging and serving. The is a great
silence in the heart of everyone. In
this silence is a perfect peace and path for each of us to follow. Everyone has gifts which express their
heart. I imagine the prayer of St.
Francis becoming alive for many as we become instruments of healing including
lots of fun, dancing, humor, and life!
Yes, lets all become instruments of much life, perfect joy!
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| Bloggers Interview |
Friday, 11 April 2014
Interview with Kyle Hawkins
1. Can you tell us a little about yourself, your blog/website, and your aspirations and your hobbies!!
2. How you first got involved in with blogging/writing, are you an imaginative person?
I consider myself a very imaginative person. I am always thinking of new topics or trying to wrap my head around another idea. I have always had a knack for writing so I thought I would give it a shot and see if I could get a site off the ground. I never realized it would go so well.
3. What do you find most challenging about blogging/writing about your topic?
The thing that I find most challenging about writing with regards to religion is the backlash that comes from members of the community. With regards to religion no two people always have the same belief and more often than not will tell you just why your belief is wrong and their belief is right.
4. Tell me about some of the people you have met while working on your blog?
I have not meant anyone personally yet, but I have had conversations with people across the globe. I have talked to people from the Middle East, India, Asia, and all up and down the Americas.
5. How would (someone) describe your blogging/writing style?
Orderly chaos. I tend to try to write a week’s worth of posts in one sitting. Usually I have just a general idea of what I want to write and go to work. I have been studying Christianity and religion as a whole for the last 10+ years so I tend to write very quickly. I try to make it as conversational as possible to encourage dialogue for those who read it.
6. What do you do when you are not working on your blog?
Right now I am looking into starting a book, creating more websites, and learning as many languages as possible. I am trying to do things that will leave a mark on this world after I am done.
7 .Where do you see yourself blogging/writing wise in the next 6 months, and 5 years down the road?
In 6 months I can see Nomadic still being my main focus as I create the code for the new website. 5 years down the road I hope to be traveling full time with Nomadic and the travel website allowing me enough income to continue with that lifestyle indefinitely.
8. What networking do you do that you feel helps your blogging/writing business?
I try to connect with as many people I can in as many ways as I can. I use social media and reddit to try to meet new people and bring them into the fold. Reddit has been my main source of this so far and drives my traffic up more than anything at the present. I also have begun to bring in people I know personally and ask for their help in making the ministry grow.
9. How do you keep coming up with material/content for your blog? Many people struggle with coming up with different articles/posts and they only have one blog.
Truthfully, I have a notebook with enough topics to last me for the next two and a half years already. I have been thinking of this stuff since I graduated college so there is quite a backlog of things I want to talk about. I also get more ideas from books, articles, and current world news.
10. What’s your strategy with your blog in general?
The strategy for my blog is to spread the love of Christ without judgment to the four corners of the world. Anything else that happens with the blog is just more blessings.
11. Any specific tips you have for newbie bloggers who want to make it in the blogosphere?
Do not give up. My first few months I had just over 1000 visitors and I understand it can get frustrating. Keep going and remember you are writing because you love something not because it is going to get you noticed.
12. What would you prioritize? Content? SEO? Traffic? Readers?
Content above all else. Without great content no one will care to visit your blog.
13. What’s the best thing a blogger can give to his readers?
The greatest thing that I can give someone is hope. It may be specific to my blog, but with every article I write I hope someone gets something that makes their life a little better.
14. A lot of people are interested in blogging/writing for the money earning potential. What are some tips for people interesting in making money from blogging/writing? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be made?
I have not monetized my blog yet, but the advice I would give is not to expect to get rich quick. I have a decent following and I know if I tried ad revenue I would still be making very little. Blog because it is something that you are passionate about and if it takes off then worry about the other stuff later.
15. What motivates you most in life?
Love of God, love of my wife, love of my family, and love of all people. Those four things make it really easy to live in this world and try to do good at all times.
16. What has been your strategy for creating visibility to yourself and your blog?
I have tried everything. I have looked up tips online, tried every social media outlet, tried throwing my link every place I can find, and everything in between. The best thing though that has got me noticed is writing content that actually appeals to the reader.
17 What was the most challenging moment in your blog content development process and why?
Actually putting up the website. I had just recently lost my job and the money that it would cost to get the domain name and set up the site was a lot for someone who had just lost his source of income, but thankfully my wife told me that it was in God’s hands and I gave it a shot.
18. Everyone has a favorite/least favorite post. Name yours and why?
Favorite Post-Why Christians are Fanning the Flames-It really brought up a lot of good conversation and allowed me to write on something that was a little more controversial.
Least Favorite-Any of my first posts-Just looking back on how I used to write 7 months ago makes me cringe.
19. Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why?
I do not really think anyone looks up to me yet, but I hope that I have influenced someone’s life.
20. What is the story behind the name of the blog?
I live the idea of traveling and making your mark on the world as a whole. The nomadic came because I hope to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
21. Your connection with any Blogger Networks or any other and the experience?
No current connections with any bloggers networks.
22. Which genre do you feel gets the raw deal?
Honestly, I feel ministry and religion as a whole is nearly neglected in the blogosphere. There is infinite room out there to spread the Gospel, but many people still believe you need a brick and mortar church to teach one another.
23. Which one plug-in would you suggest all bloggers to have?
So far I would say Askimet, because without it I would have had a lot more spam comments to work through.
24. Five adjectives that describe you.
Compassionate, Tempered, Honest, Wise, Friendly
25. What book would you say has made the biggest impact good or bad on you?
The Bible bar none. Without it I would not be the man I am today nor have the beliefs to change the world.
26. Do you get easily provoked by positive/negative comments??
I try not to but honestly from time to time someone will get under my skin and I will retaliate albeit never with pointless jabs or comments I try to come out of every argument in a dignified manner.
27. Do you plan to write a book, as every bloggers dream it is?
I do plan on writing a couple of books in my lifetime. The first one that I plan on starting in the near future is based on the differences between Paul’s Christianity and Jesus’ Christianity and how we need to get back to the latter.
28. Are you a judgmental person, do you prefer to take sides instead of standing neutral?
Without taking a side for something we end up standing for nothing. I am not judgmental, but I stand on the truths and the beliefs that I have without fail, but am willing to listen to any argument.
29. Your collaboration with other bloggers, are you much into social networking, tell us everything about it?
The only current collaboration I have is through Reddit. I try to keep up with social networks but that part of my blog is moving a little slower than others.
30. What genre attracts you the most and which genre you avoid?
I tend to read a lot about the religion genre as well as lifehacking, reading, and world events. I try to avoid anything that seems to be a flash in the pan or a passing fad and look for things that are beneficial to myself and those around me.
31. Your Views on Contests and increasing plagiarism?
I have not ran a contest yet, but I believe that they are a great way to drive traffic to a blog or website. Plagiarism has been around for many years and we must be vigilant to combat it so that those who truly are behind the work get the credit they rightly deserve.
32. Words for me and my blogs Desire v/s Destiny and Blogger Interviews and my Website www.MyMagicJobs.com
33. On winning the Award/s, Are they really necessary.
I would say no, but if I was given an award I would be excited. They are not necessary though. We do not write for accolades nor recognition, but to be able to have a voice about our passions, beliefs, and hobbies.
I would say no, but if I was given an award I would be excited. They are not necessary though. We do not write for accolades nor recognition, but to be able to have a voice about our passions, beliefs, and hobbies.
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