Author: Cindy Dawson

Christian, writing

How To Polish Your Writing

Cindy Dawson

Do you want more people to read your blog? Before you click Publish, ask these 5 questions:

#1 Do I have a catchy title? Would the title attract your attention? Would you want to read more? As I scroll through the Reader List on WordPress, I look at the titles, click on what interests me, and pass over the rest. Don’t you?

#2 Does the first sentence make you want to read more? Sure, you aren’t trying to write a best-selling novel, but that first sentence must grab your reader’s attention and make them want to keep reading.

#3 Can I say it with fewer words? Look for ways to make sentences shorter. First, reduce the number of words and then try to improve the quality of the words that remain. (Cheney, 2005)

#4 Can I turn any nouns into verbs? For example, instead of saying “She made a suggestion”, say “She suggested”. Instead of saying, “He made an offer”, say “He offered”. Sounds easy, but it’s more complicated than you think. This one is the hardest for me to master, and probably the most important.

#5 Did I focus on my message? Or did I ramble on and on about this and that? Make sure every sentence contributes to your message. If not, you’re making your post longer than it needs to be. (Rambling is for journals!)

I don’t claim to be a writing expert, but I have a bookshelf packed with books about writing. Yesterday, I pulled one from the shelf and read the highlighted sections. Because writing is a skill, these tips can make a huge difference in the quality of your writing. Apply the above questions to your post one at a time. Watch how quickly your writing improves!

Whether we’re writing to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ or to tell others about Jesus, when we improve our writing skills we will attract more people to God’s Truth.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” Colossians 3:23a NIV

Recommended:

How to Write for a General Audience, Kathleen A. Kendall-Tackett, PhD

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Featured Image: Photo by Thomas Bormans on Unsplash

2nd Photo by Radu Marcusu on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Friday’s Verse, 6/2/23

Cindy Dawson

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Verse for Meditation, 6/1/23

Cindy Dawson

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Quote of the Week, 5/31/23

Cindy Dawson

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

Photo by Sebastien Gabriel on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Tuesday’s Verse, 5/30/23

Cindy Dawson

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (emphasis mine) Read full chapter

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

Photo by Gary Fultz on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Monday’s Verse, 5/29/23

Cindy Dawson

“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18b

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

Photo by Gary Fultz on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Sunday’s Memory Verse, 5/28/23

Cindy Dawson

“(Love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:7

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

Photo by Chayene Rafaela on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

An Important Message For H.S. Graduates

Cindy Dawson

Last Sunday, my pastor preached a profound sermon to our high school graduates. He actually asked them to come down and sit on the front pew.

As he spoke to them, I wondered what they were thinking. Would they take his words to heart? Or would they ignore them? I know what I was thinking: “This is so true! I know it’s true from my 60-plus years of knowing God and making many mistakes!”

I remember being a teenager and thinking I knew it all. My pastor back then gave me a Bible. He wrote these words in the front:

The Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Bible.

Dwight L. Moody

Unfortunately, I didn’t heed those wise words, but they proved to be true nonetheless. So I wondered if these teens would heed their pastor’s wise words.

But it wasn’t a wise word just for teens. It was a wise word for us all. It encouraged me in my walk with the Lord. I think it would encourage you, too.

He said that not following God’s plan (as related to us from God’s Word) would have consequences. (Well, I know that’s true!) And he said, “Following God’s plan won’t always be easy.” (They have no idea how true this will be.)

I encourage you to listen to this 20-minute sermon or play it for a teenager you care about. The sermon begins at the 42-minute mark. (However, the music before the sermon is beautiful!)

“Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
    nothing you desire can compare with her.” Proverbs 3:13-15

A Message to High School Graduates

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Friday’s Verse, 5/26/23

Cindy Dawson

“My victory and honor come from God alone.
    He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
O my people, trust in him at all times.
    Pour out your heart to him,
    for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:7-8 NLT

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

Photo by Rik Buiting on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian, God

Verses for Meditation, 5/25/23

Cindy Dawson

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16

Here “the world” refers to the system of this world which aligns with Satan and opposes God. John warns readers not to love the false values, false standards, and false gods of society because whatever things are involved in the world’s system are under the authority of the evil one. (David Jeremiah Study Bible notes)

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.

RealChristianWomen.blog