Valerie Jones

{Live with Purpose. Lead with Passion.}

I am a blogger, worship leader, and speaker who helps worship leaders and team members connect with purpose and passion in life and leadership by offering encouragement, community, and practical resources so that they can thrive in life and leadership, both on and off the platform.

Thanks for stopping by!

Filtering by Tag: blogging

{Improve Your Blog in One Simple Step}

Y'all might not know it, but blogging is one of my favorite things to do! My first post, nearly five years ago, was probably pretty lame. I know my blog design was pretty lame although it served its purpose well. But over time, the purpose evolved. Hopefully, it's all gotten a bit better. Even still, I had a hard time finding my groove - if you know what I mean. What I'm learning is that consistency is key, and you have to work at being consistent. How do you do that? I'm so glad you asked! Here's what has been working for me:

First things first! Get organized. Pick out a notebook or an app and start using it! Evernote is a great app for organizing your ideas, and any kind of notebook will do - as long as it has a sturdy cover and plenty of blank pages. Keeping all your ideas and inspiration in one place makes it much easier when you're wondering what in the world to write about next.

Once you have all your stuff in one place, you're one step away to a better blog! Exciting, isn't it!? So, what's one easy way to improve your blog?

Get a schedule. Yes, make a plan and work the plan. Now, before you throw up a red flag and claim that working from a writing schedule squelches creativity, hear me out. Having a writing schedule brings a sense of accountability to the table. Creating space to write will foster creativity and hone writing skills. I use a simple monthly calendar and schedule blog posts one month in advance. You can be as detailed as you would like. I make note of the category and/or title on the date the post will go live. I schedule writing time accordingly. Just get something on paper!

January was the first month I consistently put these things in practice. I set a goal for my blog and was able to hold myself accountable because I was organized and worked from a schedule. And, I did it!! Woo-hoo! If I can do it, you can too! So, because I love calendars and freebies, you can download a copy of a blank monthly blog planning calendar! Take a look!

Happy blog planning!

{New Site Design}

Hello sweet friends.

First, can I just say thank you! Thank you for following my blog either via Wordpress or email. Some of you have been subscribing to email updates for years! We've come a long way together, haven't we? I love that. And, I appreciate you. Thanks for sticking with me.

I have been working on something new for my site - a new design. You may have already seen a preview on social media. I am moving from Wordpress to a new platform. The process has been fussy and I can't even tell you how I managed. But, I think I have it working now! I'm such a novice. But, that's ok, right?

So. The new site.  I'd love for you to stop by and take a look.

Unfortunately, the email subscriptions didn't move with me. So, if you'd like,  you can click the link below and re-subscribe to the blog. Once you see the landing page, you just click the button that says "Subscribe." I hope you will stay with me! I'm excited about what's coming.

Re-Subscribe to My Blog Here.

Happy Christmas season to you all! It's been quite a year, hasn't it?  I pray that you are filled with hope as you stop and take time to remember why Jesus came. He loves you so.

With Love,
Valerie